The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) joins the global community today, October 13, 2025 to observe International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction under the theme; "Fund Resilience Not Disasters".
As part of this year's observance the National Emergency Management Organisation is hosting two workshops designed to help build resilience among public sector workers. The first workshop which is being held today October 13, 2025 features a Certified Basic Fire Training for members of the recently certified Ministerial Emergency Response Teams (MERTS). This activity is being held at the Personnel Department Training Room.
The second workshop will be held on Tuesday 14th October, 2025 where the MERTs will present the first draft of the Emergency Response Plans for their respective Ministries or Department and participate in a Tabletop Simulation Exercise at the NEMO Conference Room. These workshops are being held as part of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Building Resilience through Anticipatory Approaches to Disaster in the Public Service Buildings- Pilot Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency through the Building Resilience CARIFORUM States (BRICS) Project. Other activities to observe International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction include Social Media publications to highlight NEMO's efforts to build resilience in the area of disaster risk reduction in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), at all levels.
At the Regional Level there are also a number activities taking place to observe International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. This includes a number of Webinars hosted by regional entities in which the Director of NEMO is involved. The first Webinar: “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters”, hosted by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency was held today at 10:00 a.m. The speakers were Mr. Paul Saunders, Operations Officer, (Environmental Sustainability) Caribbean Development Bank,
Ms. Michelle Forbes, Director, National Emergency Management Organization, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Tom Coward, Director, U.K Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (UKFCDO) and Mr. Randy Graham, Chief Operating Officer, CG Insurance Group. The Moderator: Ms. Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA.
The second Webinar will be held on Thursday 16th October, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. This Webinar will be hosted by the UWI Disaster Risk Reduction Centre. The Theme is “Unpacking Humanitarian Action in the Caribbean: The Silent Cost of the Regional Response Mechanism.” The members of the panel are Mr. Jeremy Collymore, Chair Advisory Board Disaster Risk Reduction Centre UWI, Ms. Michelle Forbes, Director, National Emergency Management Organisation, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ms. Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of CDEMA, Rear Admiral Errington Shurland, Executive Director Regional Security System and Ms. Danielle Coleman, Director, Hazard Management, Cayman Islands.
The Theme “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.” highlights the urgent need to address the escalating costs of disasters by shifting focus from reactive response to proactive investments in disaster risk reduction (CDEMA, 2025).
