A Step Long In Coming

There has been much talk about disaster planning and preparedness in Anguilla over the years. During that period a few terrible hurricanes have swept across the island leaving much damage and rebuilding expense behind. After that, we have also been left to ponder whether our response strategies were adequate and what could be done to remedy the situation. We join with Rodney Rey, the Chief Minister’s Permanent Secretary, to point out that small states, like Anguilla, cannot afford the severe economic shocks and dislocation that disasters can cause. The obvious necessity, therefore, would be to take measures to help avoid the negative impact and to ensure sustainable development.

Luckily for Anguilla, there has not been any major disaster involving mass casualties, but the uncertainty of life and the unpredictability of certain incidents demand that we must be prepared. We must try to safeguard ourselves against that day when our luck runs out. Over the years, we have been extremely fortunate that our ferryboats travelling between Blowing Point and Marigot have not met with misfortune particularly when the service is unusually heavily patronised like at Christmas time. Many dread that day, and so the ferry service must be one of those areas of security to which we must pay special attention.

The large number of participants from the various government agencies who were at the exercise reflected a keen interest in helping to ensure a ‘safe haven’ in Anguilla from disasters. It was noted however that no representatives from the sea-faring community were present. This absence or lack of invitation was seen as an oversight, when the sea ‘is in the blood’ of many of our people but when disaster strikes, travel on the sea can be a very treacherous and foreboding experience.

That aside, the Major Disaster Tabletop Exercise came quickly on the heels of a signed tripartite agreement among the Police, Customs and Immigration Departments to work together to protect the internal security of Anguilla. These days, as our experience has taught us, we cannot leave anything to chance. To do so would be foolhardy. We would be making a terrible blunder in our responsibilities to protect the lives and interests of our people and secure the sustainable development and welfare of our island home.