TCI News
TCI: Repel and collapse rescues, 20 trained in DDME & CDEMA workshop
#Providenciales, August 17, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – It looks both frightening and fun; repelling down a steep cliff in the beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands but this was serious business on both Friday in Providenciales and Saturday in Middle Caicos led by trainers sent in by Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, CDEMA to support a DDME workshop.
The Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies, DDME has led this kind of training before; USAR or Urban Search and Rescue is a workshop engineered to increase how many people in the islands are able to conduct rescues in the most grueling conditions.
George Hazel, a paramedic from Trinidad and Tobago spoke to Magnetic Media on day five of a six-day training. In a clearing off South Dock road is where the group was able to put into practice the theoretical instruction from earlier this week.
“The skill which they are doing now is repelling, which is part of what they are required to do as a search and rescue team,” said Mr. Hazel who said the training would intensify and require the rescue trainees to repel, find a patient and haul them back up the cliff.
On Friday, the group was required to scale this 85-foot drop – several times, up and down – men and women, alike.
The training is a part of a plan which has been unravelling since 2016, explained Hazel. The high angle and low angle rescues have been done before, this week provided a refresher of the skills and added techniques in rescuing from a collapsed structure. Next time, the search and rescue capacity for the Turks and Caicos Islands will be bolstered with exposure to water rescues.
“The third portion is the water rescue component and will involve swift water rescue.”
Rayon Bifield was the man we caught on camera repelling down the cliff. Bifield is an EMT and self-confessed adrenaline-junkie, who said for him it was exciting and important.
“It has been a tremendous experience. It is a good skill and one we can not only use for recreational purposes but one we can use to save somebody’s life. As an EMT, the possibility that somebody is injured you know that you have an EMT on board who can go down and do the necessary assessment, packaging and retrieve of a patient.”
DDME Radio and Communications & Telecommunications Specialist, Mark Wilkinson agreed that it has been a successful week.
“This has been very satisfying, and as part of the Department, I am very comfortable to go out there and rescue persons in the event we are called upon. This has been an area where we really needed to build capacity and strengthen our numbers. Based on how we are designed and how some islands are far a part, it is important that we build these numbers so that we can be apart of that first responding team.”
DDME, Emergency Medical Services, TCI Airports Authority, volunteers including an off-duty police officer, the District Commissioner for Middle Caicos, Frederick Johnson and five women were among those trained in this specialized search and rescue; USAR.
“Yes, this kind of training is becoming increasingly important. Not just here in TCI, but worldwide. Sometimes we think that search and rescue is only when someone goes missing in Middle Caicos or somewhere, but we have to remember that after a hurricane or a storm, if a house is badly damaged or blown down, then persons like myself or a member of the team will have to go in and skillfully take that person out.”
Wilkinson reminded of the region’s susceptibility to small earthquakes and collapsed buildings.
Magnetic Media was informed that the trainees completing the course are now also equipped and certified to assist CDEMA in search and rescue operations in neighboring countries including Jamaica, Haiti or The Bahamas.
The training instructors were: Abdias Samuel, National Disaster Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency, St. Kitts and Nevis; George Hazel, Clinical Services Manager, Emergency Training Institute of Trinidad and Tobago and Carlos Bishop, Leading Fire Officer, Barbados Fire Service.
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TCIG knew from April that fuel factor could surge almost 80%; Minister says $500 cost-of-living payment was part of Government’s response
PROVIDENCIALES — The Turks and Caicos Government knew months before July’s shocking electricity bills that consumers faced a potentially massive increase in the fuel factor.
Minister of Information Technology and Energy E. Jay Saunders revealed Friday that Pelican Energy warned his Ministry in April that generation fuel costs were projected to rise from $3.09 per gallon in May to $4.79 in June and July.
That translated into a projected fuel factor jump from about 17.5 cents to 31 cents per kilowatt-hour — an increase of almost 80%.
Saunders said he personally advised Cabinet of the projected increase and presented options for cushioning the impact.
He characterised Government’s $500 cost-of-living payment as its “initial response” to rising fuel costs, before a separate fuel-factor subsidy was approved.
Cabinet records show Government agreed on June 24 to provide funding to mitigate the fuel-factor impact, with the relief programme approved July 8.
Eligible residential customers — those averaging less than $1,500 monthly over the previous three bills — are capped at 22 cents per kWh from July through October.
Pelican confirmed Friday that Government’s contribution was already applied to July bills, meaning the bills now triggering widespread public outrage would have been even higher without the subsidy.
Saunders did not disclose the programme’s total cost.
His admission that Government knew since April, however, raises another question amid the backlash: why were consumers not directly warned by Government about the scale of the approaching increase?
PROVIDENCIALES — New commercial Crown Land applications are facing a six-month pause as the Turks and Caicos Islands Government takes inventory of its holdings.
During Cabinet meetings held July 15 and 16, an immediate six-month moratorium was approved on the acceptance, processing
and approval of new applications for commercial Crown Land grants, leases and allocations.
The pause will remain in place pending completion of the Crown Land Inventory Review. Cabinet’s summary did not state what prompted the review or indicate whether availability of commercial Crown Land is a concern.
The two-day meeting also advanced major consumer legislation. Cabinet approved the National Fair Competition Policy 2026 and drafting instructions for a Fair Competition Ordinance, moving TCI toward stronger consumer protection and fair competition rules.
In Grand Turk, Cabinet approved rezoning land in the North West Suburbs from low-density to medium-density residential use to facilitate a new apartment development.
Cabinet also advanced fisheries reforms, water legislation allowing private and public-private investment, minerals legislation and appointments across tourism, health and finance.
Progress toward establishing a TCI Credit Union was also noted.
PROVIDENCIALES — Major development projects outside Providenciales received Cabinet attention on July 8, with Government approving agreements connected to the redevelopment of Dellis Cay and a resort development in North Caicos.
Cabinet approved a Development Agreement between the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, Desarrollos Hotelco DC Ltd. and
Desarrollos Hotelco Astoria Ltd. for the redevelopment of Dellis Cay.
The long-discussed private island development sits between Providenciales and North Caicos and its return to Cabinet signals another step toward redevelopment.
Cabinet also approved amendments to an agreement involving SPR LND Ltd. (Royal Reef) and TCIG Development Agreement for a resort/hotel development in North Caicos.
Other decisions included approval of the First Supplementary Appropriation Bill 2026 for onward transmission and the appointment of Cindy Ewing as Chair of the Invest TCI Board, effective August 1 for three years.
Cabinet also noted consultation outcomes concerning changes to business licensing, approved professional membership expenses for qualifying Telecommunications Commission staff and approved advice relating to the Interim Clinical and Estates Services PPP.
The July 8 meeting was chaired by Acting Governor Anya Williams.
Photo Credit: Royal Reef (Keith)
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