Holness says ODPEM transfer to OPM not permanent

Stating that he has enough entities on his plate to deal with, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the reassignment of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) is not meant to be permanent.

Speaking at a special press briefing today, Holness said it is not the first time that the agency, responsible for preventing or reducing the impact of hazards on Jamaica, has been centrally located in the OPM.

“I have enough entities on my plate to deal with, but it is important because the Office of the Prime Minister can accelerate coordination and quickly remission entities, and for ODPEM, we had already undertaken a review and we concluded that there was a need for strengthening the mission and increasing its coordinating ability,” he said.

About a week after Hurricane Melissa caused extensive devastation across Jamaica, Holness announced the transfer of the ODPEM to his office.

He also appointed a new Director General, Commander Alvin Gayle, who was seconded from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to take leadership and streamline the operations of the entity.

The Prime Minister contended that the realignment would establish a single point for emergency logistics and further tighten coordination with relief partners.

The agency was previously under the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

He also argued that the capability and prominence of the ODPEM had waned over time.

One of the factors contributing to that, he said, was the level at which the executive management was compensated, noting that the agency had not yet completed the process of compensation review.

Holness faced criticisms over the reassignment.

But on Wednesday, he said he has already seen improvements in the functions of the entity.

He said it was tasked with strengthening an inventory management system and is well under way in completing it.

This system will facilitate transparency in how hurricane relief efforts are distributed.

The Prime Minister noted, too, that the ODPEM has also been tasked with building awareness of the conditions and dynamics within the disaster area.

“I have brought together under ODPEM’s coordinating responsibility under law all the GIS (Geographic Information System) systems, supported by the geospatial data management branch of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructural Development, to pull together all our GIS information so that we can see, for example, where are all our schools, where are all our police stations, where are all our shops, community centres, electrical installations, so that we can plan properly and be able to respond. That is under way,” he said.

- Sashana Small

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