Sangster airport strengthens disaster preparedness

The Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James, strengthened its disaster preparedness and response plans, as well as relevant protocols and procedures through its participation in the Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Get Airports Ready for Disaster (GARD) workshop last week.

The GARD is a public-private partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Deutsche Post DHL Group, the world’s leading mail and logistics services provider.

The GARD programme is aimed at preparing airports to handle the influx of incoming relief goods after a disaster. The sessions were held between May 11-13 at the SIA. Participation included 17 representatives from MBJ, St James Municipal Corporation, CGC Ground Services (Jamaica) Limited, AJAS Limited, PAC Kingston Airport Limited (PACKAL) and Jamaican government organisations such as the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF-West), Jamaica Constabulary Force (Supt Ports Division), Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Ministry of Transport and Mining (MTM), and the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA).

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the workshop included virtual and in-person participation, as well as the use of DHL smart glasses provided by the DHL Innovation Centre to aid the workshop experience for those attending virtually.

“As a primary gateway to the island of Jamaica, Sangster International Airport is a critical national infrastructure for disaster preparedness and response. The GARD programme enabled us to assess our infrastructure and strengthen our disaster relief transport and distribution expertise. We are pleased to coordinate with DHL, ACI and UNDP on this effort,” said Shane Munroe, chief executive officer, MBJ Airports Limited.

NATURE DISRUPTIVE

A disaster is by nature disruptive. Moreover, the need to ensure compliance with customs regulations, immigration, storage and movement of goods, and relief distribution can reduce the efficiency and speed of delivering goods and services to an affected population.

Airports play a key role when a disaster strikes, enabling incoming goods to reach those in need. It is critical for stakeholders involved in disaster preparation to coordinate and work to strengthen airports’ capacity to ramp up and manage these large-scale operations in advance of a disaster.

“ACI-LAC joins this important initiative between DHL and the United Nations (UNDP) with the objective of supporting the communities served by our airports in critical moments such as natural disasters. The GARD programme is a clear example of this philosophy and goes beyond the traditional functions of airports and puts the airport as the hub for supporting the population it serves,” said Dr Rafael Echevarne, director general, Airports Council International Latin America and Caribbean (ACI-LAC).

“UNDP is keen on building the capacity and resilience of key local stakeholders to ensure efficient and effective response to crises. Air transport is an essential pillar in supporting early response and recovery efforts immediately following a crisis. Through past disasters, we know the valuable lessons and importance of airport preparedness and developing strong private-public partnerships,” said Denise Antonio, UNDP resident representative in Jamaica.

PREPARE AIRPORT STAFF

DHL’s Disaster Response Teams (DRT) assist with airport logistics and warehousing of incoming aid during a disaster and provide proactive GARD training to prepare airport staff before a disaster strikes. DHL’s GARD programme has trained 1,300 participants at 55 airports in 28 countries.

“DHL’s highly trained employee DRT volunteers and GARD trainers have provided logistics expertise and contributed to emergency response efforts throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. We continue to build strong relationships with local emergency response teams, airport and military authorities, and non-profit organisations to support humanitarian logistics efforts in the Americas,” said Gilberto Castro, senior director of operations Colombia and disaster response team director for the Americas, DHL.

“GARD is an integral part of DHL’s GoHelp programme that covers all company disaster preparedness and management activities in support of our company purpose to connect people and improve lives.”