And while he may be taking his time with the Guatemalan request, as Minister of NEMO, Hon. Godfrey Smith was today getting up to speed with hurricane preparedness plans. Smith skipped form Price Barracks, to Orange Walk to San Pedro to Dangriga to field preparedness presentations. At the heart of it is the BDF which has a national disaster mobilization plan. It's an elaborate, detailed operation that the BDF explained this morning and we had to wonder, don't the men in green have something more pressing to do like protect the western border?
Jules Vasquez,
Are we wrongly deploying our resources using so much of the BDF brain thrust in this area? Obviously to come up with a plan like this many senior officers had to labor many hours. Should those hours have been spent in more practical considerations like protecting our oft encroached upon border?
Hon. Godfrey Smith, Minister of Defense
“I think quite frankly Jules that question betrays a serious underestimation of the capability and brain thrust of the BDF. We have had these plans and it is simply a matter of putting it in the form that you have seen it. I would say quite frankly that it won’t prejudice or take anything at all from the daily patrols. This is simply one aspect that is built into year round plans. It doesn’t prejudice foot patrols or anything. Yes in the event of the actual striking of the hurricane, you wouldn’t be having foot patrols so they would be recalled. But this really shows the versatility in the BDF.”
Jules Vasquez,
[Addressing question to the BDF Commandant] But in a hurricane how much of my safety or my family’s well being and safety well depend on the competency of the BDF?
Brigadier General Cedric Borland, Belize Defense Force
“...we also support the police in security operations in Belize City. Most people would leave their home to seek shelter on high ground and we are in Belize City and the other localities along with the police guiding the properties that are left behind. Apart from that we also look at the security of people at shelters. We look at the transportation of relief supplies into affected areas. So I must mention that the BDF plays a very vital role in supporting the National Management Organization during disaster situations.”
After the interview at Price Barracks, Smith boarded a BDF Defender for meetings in Orange Walk at the emergency operations center. They next moved to the San Pedro emergency committee where emergency coordinator James Jan Mohammed made the presentation. They then moved to Dangriga where John Swazo, district emergency coordinator made the presentation.
So how prepared is NEMO? Check out their website to find out:NEMO.org