National disaster training to begin
6-Feb-2010 03:16 PM

The National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) within the Ministry of Provincial Development, Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Disaster Management and Sugar will implement professional training for divisional planners, district officers, Roko Tuis and other Central/Eastern personnel in Suva the week of February 8th 2010.

The training will be in Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) and Initial Damage Assessment (IDA) and is supported by The Asia Foundation (TAF) through the USAID Office of U.S.

Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) funded Pacific Disaster Risk Management Programme, which is implemented in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission’s (SOPAC) Community Risk Programme. National support has been provided by the Ministry through the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO).

Both the EOC and IDA courses have been developed through the TAF/OFDA Pacific Disaster Risk Management (Training) Programme (PDRMP), which has supported disaster management capacity development for Fiji and other Pacific Island countries since 1995.

The purpose of the EOC course is to provide knowledge and skills necessary for the establishment, operation, management and administration of Emergency Operations Centres (EOC). For Fiji this is at national, provincial and district levels.

The IDA training provides participants with skills and knowledge to conduct initial damage assessments immediately following a disaster to assist responsible agencies to better determine immediate relief requirements. IDA introduces a process with tools and techniques required to conduct successful initial damage assessments in support of national Governments plan and arrangements.

This week’s training also provides opportunity for individuals to develop partnerships and networks among their organizations and agencies in their divisions to ensure a more integrated approach to disaster management, focusing on better response.

The training will be held at the Centre for Training and Development, Nasese from Monday 8th February to Friday 12th February. The resource team for the EOC/IDA training will be made up primarily of national trainers including Mr Anthony Blake, Ms Joana Koroituinakelo, Ms Selai Korovusere, Mr Mohammed Riazz Khan, and Mrs Shakuntla Kumar.