Bridgetown, Barbados, September 9, 2025 - More than twenty personnel from Anguilla’s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) were recent beneficiaries of specialized training in Emergency Operations Centre Management, organized by the Regional Training Centre (RTC) of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).
The three-day course executed between August 20 to 22, 2025, was conducted in collaboration with the Anguilla DDM and supported by Global Support and Development (GSD), was designed to strengthen the capacity of frontline agencies to coordinate and respond effectively during emergencies.
Participants included staff from the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), emergency services, health, and utilities representing a cross-section of public and private sector agencies from Anguilla’s NEOC operations group.
Over the three days, the programme covered a range of critical modules, including the fundamentals of Emergency Operations Centre management, designing EOCs and ensuring operational continuity, strengthening management processes, and facilitating multi-agency collaboration. Learning was also reinforced through online preparatory micro-courses, interactive lectures, group discussions, and knowledge checks, culminating in a capstone tabletop exercise based on a multi-hazard scenario.
Participants were therefore able to enhance their capacity to manage an Emergency Operations Centre effectively by applying established structures, processes, and coordination mechanisms. The training equipped them to plan, activate, operate, and demobilize EOC functions in support of a coordinated, multi-agency disaster response.
Addressing the closing ceremony, CDEMA’s Deputy Executive Director, Lt. Col Kester Craig told participants that, “the lessons learnt, and knowledge gained during this training must move beyond the classroom and be applied to strengthen emergency response operations in real-world scenarios. This course equips participants to translate learning into impact for the safety and resilience of their communities. Importantly, what has begun here must continue. By institutionalizing these lessons and building a cadre of skilled practitioners, we ensure sustainability, capacity building, and stronger preparedness across the CDEMA system.”
The training team comprised of senior disaster management practitioners including, Director of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Michelle Forbes; Director of the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) Antigua and Barbuda, Sherrod James, Director of the DDM Anguilla, Susan Hodge; and Programme Officer at the CDEMA Coordinating Unit, Rasheed Pinder. The Training Coordinator was CDEMA’s Education Specialist, Ms. Gayle Drakes with administrative support from the agency’s Young Professional Staff, Ms. Zinzi Horne and Ms. Rebekah Dennie.
Photo: Participants who recently completed the CDEMA Emergency Operations Centre Management Training in Anguilla with Facilitators and the administrative support team seated.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Keith Goddard
Communications and Public Relations Specialist
CARIBBEAN DISASTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (CDEMA)
Suite #3, Building #1, Manor Lodge Complex, Lodge Hill,
St. Michael, Barbados,
Email:
Tel: (246) 434-4880 Ext 3233
Mobile : (246) 266-1976
Fax: (246) 271-3660