Real Talk In The Face Of Danger Department of Emergency Management

2021 has been a very active year in Barbados as it relates to hazards. Feeling the impacts as early as January, the island faced drought, dust haze, volcanic ashfall and a hurricane. Of course this all took place in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  

These events have all increased the workload of emergency response organizations; particularly the Department of Emergency Management (DEM). We therefore decided to close this year of Real Talk in the Face of Danger with a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the Department during 2021, featuring guest speaker Kerry Hinds, DEM Director.

The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season was another active one with 21 named storms forming between June and November. Joining us on this episode is Senior Meteorologist, Semelka Jackman, who gave a review of the hurricane season along with some insight into the work of the Barbados Meteorological Services.

Ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic there has been a cloud of uncertainty above our heads. When will it end? How much worse will things get? These are some of the questions we ask ourselves and this constant worrying negatively impacts our emotional well-being.

In this episode we chat with a familiar voice, Christine Franklyn, who is a Certified Wellness Coach in Barbados. Throughout the discussion Christine shares useful information on how we can take care of our mental health while continuing to navigate the unpredictability of life.

On July 2, 2021 disaster struck Barbados with the passing of Hurricane Elsa. Thousands of households reported damaged and it was discovered that the majority were not insured. At the tail end of recovery, we decided it was necessary to discuss the topic of home and property insurance with some of the experts in the field.

Joining us in this episode is an Assistant Manager in Insurance Operations at Sagicor General Insurance Inc.

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In episode 8 of Real Talk in the Face of Danger, CDEMA Executive Director, Elizabeth Riley, tells us about the need to consider gender in disaster management.  

Part 1 looks at defining gender in disaster management and why it is a key issue, especially in the Caribbean. 

Part 2 digs deeper by exploring the areas of disaster management in which gender can become an issue. It also highlights actions taken by CDEMA to integrate gender into disaster management.

In this episode, we chat with the Engineering Manager at the Barbados Light and Power Company Ltd. (BLPC) to find out how the organization prepares for the hurricane season. We also hear about their experience with Hurricane Elsa which impacted Barbados on July 2, 2021.