President Wavel Ramkalawan and Vice-President Ahmed Afif on Saturday chaired a special disaster management meeting with members of cabinet, government officials and numerous emergency response agencies, where he called for improved coordination and that they break the habit of “working in silos” to improve emergency preparedness and response.
The meeting follows the landfill blaze which saw the closure of numerous business organisations and schools during last week.
President Ramkalawan conveyed his appreciation towards all ministries, departments, agencies, and business organisations who contributed towards the operations to put out the blaze on landfill 2, although he also highlighted the urgent need for better communication and coordination among the various agencies, in a bid to tackle such emergencies and prevent them escalating or worsening within the shortest timeframe possible.
He, in particular, made reference to the various communications regarding the closure of school institutions causing confusion among the public, the role of the police during the emergency, as well as the fact that equipment, including four powerful pumps donated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the last incident of fire in September 2020, remain in storage due to the lack of communication among national agencies.
It must be noted that the Disaster and Risk Management Division (DRMD), following the 2020 fire which saw toxic fumes billowing all over town and surrounding areas and led to the closure of schools and the Providence estate, advised that 2000 tonnes of coral fill be stockpiled on site in the event of fire, but such was not observed.
“We know that there have been numerous plans, but after the landfill fire experience, and I was present there observing all what was going on, I observed some weaknesses, which is why we held the meeting, so we can move forward. This is to ensure that all agencies have their respective plans, that there is better coordination among the agencies so that they are not working in silos, but that we are all working together. And additionally, it is for us to organise different exercises, in case a disaster occurs,” President Ramkalawan said.
“Of course, we would not like that a fire, such as the one that happened on the landfill, happens again. Therefore, I am really satisfied that the various agencies were here to express their concerns, whether from aviation who proposed that the location of the landfill is a danger, with birds and smoke and all, to the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) who highlighted that their resources are limited, to the DRMD who addressed communication, and things which we need to address,” President Ramkalawan stated.
Numerous partners, including from the aviation, ports, waste management, health and law enforcement attended the three-hour long meet, whereby they voiced concerns relating to their specific interlinked sectors, and the frameworks within their respective organisations to handle emergencies and crisis related to their respective operations.
They also had an opportunity to make recommendations towards improving national response, and the means by which to either develop or improve on the coordination mechanisms, towards robust emergency response to mitigate, manage and recover from major emergencies.
President Ramkalawan affirmed his commitment to resolving the problem of agencies working independently of each other at the soonest, confirming that he will be attending the recent landfill fire post-mortem.
As pointed out by the SFRSA in past years, and as recently as the latest incident on landfill 2, the agency lacks the proper equipment and certain resources to adequately deal with such incidents. Certain protocols in place also make it difficult for the SFRSA to supersede other authorities in times of emergency, thereby delaying their own efforts.
“The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that it has enough unspent funds in the budget, so, we will analyse what they really need since our fire officers, and I take my hat off to them, and the SFRSA department need to have the appropriate equipment to do the work. I want to see the SFRSA progressing and acquiring the equipment to tackle any situation,” President Ramkalawan stated.
Speaking to the media after the meet, senior divisional officer within the SFRSA, Jones Madeleine, pointed out that the agency has to procure equipment overseas, and are somewhat constrained by the provisions of the Procurement Act which requires three quotations minimum for a product.
He added that the process can be time-consuming, and that the agency has had its budget cut in the past, while still attempting to acquire the different processes.
As the minister holding the Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment portfolio, Flavien Joubert said the meeting came at an opportune moment, with the spotlight on the difficulties and challenges faced by the Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA) in managing the landfills among other duties.
The agency is in the process of finalising its emergency response plan, and will over the next three months intensify efforts to improve coordination with its partners.
“It is important that the people who are supposed to be working with us know what they are supposed to be doing, so that we do not find ourselves in a confused situation,” he stated.
President Ramkalawan has requested a report comprising follow-up actions before the end of the year, also noting that there will be another meeting to review the status of the document.
“I would like to emphasise that risk management is what will stop a disaster from happening. As a country and we are all responsible for its safety,” he concluded.
Source: Seychelles Nation