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NEMA’s tips and advisories on floods and tornadoes

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NASSAU, The Bahamas – The National Emergency Management Agency has issued safety tips and advisories to educate residents on how to protect themselves in the event floods or tornadoes happen in their communities.It only takes a few minutes for rising water to become a flood. Hence, family members are being encouraged work together to develop a family plan so that the adults and the children know what to do.

This entails knowing how you are going to leave your house, where you going to, who you are going to and what items you are going to take with you.

When a watch is issued, residents must be ready to take action. When a flood warning is given, flooding has been reported and residents should take necessary precautions and actions at once.

Here are the following safety tips:

  • Learn the safest route from your home or business to higher ground, if you have to leave in a hurry.
  • Identify meeting place should you become separated.
  • Have itemized list of valuables and important documents in a safe place.
  • Plan to keep your pets in a safe environment.
  • Find out whether you are in a flood-prone area so as to determine whether you have to evacuate prior to the weather system.
  • Keep sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing.

Residents are also cautioned that during the flood, to monitor the weather advisories issued by NEMA through the local radio and TV stations. Also, be aware of where emergency shelters are located. Disconnect electrical supplies and do not touch if wet or if standing in water.

Should residents have to move about, travel with care and do not attempt to sightsee, or drive over a flooded road. Do not underestimate the destructive path of fast-moving water.

After the flood, continue to listen to the radio or TV stations for instructions from NEMA. And upon entering your property, do not turn on electrical appliances until an electrician has checked the system and appliances. Also, throw away all food or medicines that have come into contact with floodwaters. Additionally, water is to be tested and boiled before drinking.

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Waterlogged Nassau inundated with rain; schools closed and vacations soggy

TORNADOES

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which NEMA subscribes to, basements and interior rooms are the safest places to be during a tornado.

A tornado watch is issued when conditions are favourable for producing one. Look for dark often-greenish sky, a wall cloud and large hail may appear.

Also look and listen for:

  • Strong winds. Frequent and intense lightning, and aloud roar like a jet or train.
  • A bulge like a circular motion at the base of the thunderstorm cloud.

Choose rooms on the northern and east sides of your shelter or home if no interior rooms are available. Take shelter within the bathtub.

Residents are to always wear shoes to protect their feet. Protect head and chest and crouch face to floor with hands behind their heads.

Other protective measures are to hide under study furniture. At schools, a shelter should be designated in interior rooms or hallways on the ground floor or lowest floor. In shopping malls, avoid large open rooms and seek smaller interior shops on the ground floor.

If residents are outside, seek shelter in a substantial structure, ditch or gutter.

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Caribbean News

Wal Registre’s Impressive Rise at BTC

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: When Wal Registre started his career at Beaches Turks and Caicos (BTC) on October 25, 1997 as a bartender, little did he know that 25 years after, he would have risen to the post of payroll administrator within the same organisation.

The Raymond Gardiner High School graduate was always good at accounting and mathematics and had the dream of excelling in the hospitality industry in an area that would best fit his passion and academic strength.

Having been promoted to bar supervisor in 1999, Wal’s vision for growth was still active as he recognised that being a team member at Beaches Turks and Caicos would allow him to excel beyond his comfort zone. Following the completion of a number of courses with the Sandals Corporate University (SCU), he transitioned to the Cost Control unit in the Accounting Department as the cost control clerk.

Wal pointed out that his ability to grow within the company was largely due to his commitment to excellence. The SCU courses that were offered gave him the added training needed to build on what he was able to learn on the job and from his mentors.

“At BTC, training is very important to each employee. There are many opportunities for professional development and with the guidance from the Learning and Development team, and the leaders within the company, team members can truly grow,” Registre added.

One of Wal’s colleagues, Janet King, noted, “Wal’s commitment serves as an example to every team member here. His ability to grow from an entry level position to where he is now shows that everyone can succeed once they put their minds to it.”

While expressing his commitment to his profession, Wal’s dedication and discipline are traits that he values and chooses to pass on to those he leads. In sharing his advice to younger professionals seeking to enter the industry, he noted, “this organisation believes in quality work life balance that will allow each team member valuable time with family. This period helps me to maintain a bond with my family and explore the world. Training within this company is available for everyone and the ability to grow professionally is dependent on each person having the right attitude to grow.”

 

Release: BTC

Photo Captions

Header:Wal Registre, Payroll Administrator at Beaches Turks and Caicos makes final checks as he goes through documents at his desk at the resort

Insert: Anna Francis, Accountant in the Finance department at Beaches Turks and Caicos and Wal Registre, Payroll Administrator at the resort pause from discussing work related items to smile for the camera

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Caribbean News

Special Needs Unit Students at Thelma Lightbourne Primary School recognised by BTC

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PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands –  Parents and students from the Special Education Unit at the Thelma Lightbourne Primary School were recently recognized by the Beaches Turks and Caicos team during a special session at the institution as part of autism awareness activities.

Children’s Activities Manager Fedeline Julien shared, “educating students, parents, teachers and other adults about the best practices of dealing with children with autism is needed especially in our homes and schools. Children who are autistic do things differently and should be treated with patience and care.”

Robin Cox Foster, principal of the school said, “the partnership between Beaches Turks and Caicos and our school is always welcome. As the only resort on island that is an autism certified centre, they were readily available to share with our students and their parents. The involvement of the Sesame Street character, the presentations from the Kids Camp team to the parents allowed those present to appreciate their roles in being change agents for autism.”

Caring for a child with special needs was highlighted as an opportunity to create a closer bond between child and parent/caregivers.

Walter Moore, who has a son on the spectrum shared, “being able to deal with the many challenges of a special needs child will assist parents in being more patient and creative in how they care for a child. My son and I are best friends. He is comfortable talking with me about anything and I have to learn how to respect his likes and dislikes and create an environment that makes him happy.”

Beaches Turks and Caicos’ Kids Camp is an Advanced Certified Autism Centre which ensures that team members have the required knowledge, skills, temperament, and expertise to cater to all children. The resort offers age-specific programmes for infants, toddlers, pre-teens and teens.

 

Release: BTC

 

Photo Captions:

Header: Tanya Swann (left), Director of Sales, Groups and Conventions at Beaches Turks and Caicos introduces the team of volunteers who were present while Robin Cox-Foster, school principal looks on

1st Insert: Walter Moore (left) Beaches Turks and Caicos team member shares a moment with his son (right) and Sesame Street character Sesame Street

2nd Insert: Some members of the Beaches Turks and Caicos Sandals Foundation team share a moment at the Thelma Lightbourne Primary School during a presentation to the institution

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Caribbean News

CARPHA Plans Activities for Caribbean Nutrition Day and Caribbean Nutrition Awareness Month

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Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. 1 June 2023. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) joins the Caribbean Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians (CANDi) and countries in the Caribbean region in commemorating Caribbean Nutrition Day (1 June) and Caribbean Nutrition Awareness Month (June) 2023.

Caribbean Nutrition Day and Awareness Month are annual regional nutrition education and information campaigns that aim to promote healthy eating and active living in populations using a promotion-based approach. To kick-start the month, Caribbean Nutrition Day will be observed under the theme: “Let’s Nourish to Flourish…Your Mental Health Matters.” It was first celebrated on 1 June 2004 and became a month-long observance in response to the growing recognition of nutrition in disease prevention and health promotion.  Caribbean Nutrition Awareness Month provides an opportunity to promote and encourage health seeking behaviours on a range of topics and across multiple sections of the population.

“CARPHA has planned a series of activities to commemorate these campaigns, and to raise awareness of the importance of nutrition. This includes the launch of a Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit.  A social media campaign will also be rolled out to engage the public on nutrition and mental health and nutritional management of NCDs in the region,” said Dr. Joy St. John, Executive Director at CARPHA.

The observance of Caribbean Nutrition Day originated from the former Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI); one of five institutions subsumed under the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

 Events scheduled include:

 

  1. Fifth Meeting of the CARPHA Six Point Policy Package (6-PPP) Inter-Agency Technical Committee (ITC) on Monday 12 June 2023.

The 6-point policy package is a framework instituted in 2017 to promote healthier food environments and food security to address childhood obesity (and non-communicable diseases) through joint policy action. The 6-PPP includes policy recommendations to address: (1) Food Labelling; (2) Nutrition Standards and Guidelines for Schools and other Institutions; (3) Food Marketing; (4) Nutritional Quality of Food Supply; (5) Trade and Fiscal Policies; and (6) Food Chain Incentives. The ITC comprises of CARICOM institutions and other agencies with responsibility for economic and social sectors to collectively monitor and coordinate the implementation of the 6-PPP.

  • Webinar to launch the Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit on Tuesday 13 June 2023.

The toolkit – comprising of booklets, posters, flyer and recipes for both the health care professional and person with diabetes – will standardise the nutritional management of diabetes in primary care in the Caribbean. The toolkit was developed in 2022 following a Rapid Needs Assessment of Nutrition Services in primary health care in a representative 10 Member States. This initiative was funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) through the CARPHA-led project “Strengthening Strategic Intelligence and Partnership Approaches to Prevent and Control NCDs and Strengthen Regional Health Security in the Caribbean”.

Click here to register in advance for this Webinar

CARPHA will also disseminate an article “Nutrition for Good Mental Health”.  The article will highlight the essential role nutrition (nutrients) play in the functioning of the nervous system and key elements of the diet to ensure good mental health.

We encourage persons to follow CARPHA’s social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – for updates and pertinent information on nutrition for good mental health and NCDs management.

CARPHA will also be supporting its Member States in their celebration of Caribbean Nutrition Day and Awareness Month.

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