FREEPORT, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) officially opened a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course at the Foster B. Pestaina Center at Christ The King Anglican Church, September 5, 2022.

Lisa Bowleg, Training Coordinator and Operations Manager at NEMA led the CERT training that will cover Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Medical Operations, Disaster Psychology, Fire Safety and Utility Controls and Light Search and Rescue.

Participants of the training were from various government ministries and departments.

Officially opening the event was Island Administrator, Joseph Ferguson, who urged the participants to prepare properly for hurricanes as The Bahamas is in the hurricane belt and so will experience a monster storm periodically.

“We must obey all of the hurricane precautionary measures, things like moving to higher and safer ground when asked to move by the authorities; batten all businesses and homes; move vehicles and animals to higher grounds; secure boats and other assets in secure areas.”

Administrator Ferguson stressed the importance of people vacating their property when advised to do so because during a storm, the lives of first responders are threatened when they must go out to rescue people who could have left their homes when asked to do so.

“We need to impress upon people in our communities that they need to move to higher ground when people tell them to.”

He continued, “Let’s be safe during this hurricane season. Let’s be our brothers’ keepers and at all times practice safety.”

TRAINING SESSION – NEMA is hosting a five-day training session in Freeport, led by Training Coordinator and Operations Manager, Lisa Bowleg at the Foster B. Pestaina Center, Christ the King Anglican Church. The session started on Monday, September 5 and will end on Friday. (BIS Photo/Robyn Adderley)

EXPLAINING – Training coordinator and operations manager at NEMA, Lisa Bowleg, is seen explaining to the participants of the five-day training session what they would do following the official opening on Monday, September 5, 2022 at the Foster B. Pestaina Centre, Christ the King Anglican Church. (BIS Photo/Robyn Adderley)