The role of society must be to observe and pay particular attention to its surroundings. Now, the majority of times, life itself shows glaring photos of what is taking place but somehow, we, the general public, take it for granted. A concern that has been troubling me for some time is the little or no attention paid to the disaster preparedness for the two major programmes of the Carnival season—the Panorama semi finals at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, and the Calypso Monarch semi finals at Skinner Park, San Fernando. For quite sometime the question has been asked: How would elderly and/or disabled people fare in the event a disaster should occur? No response seems forthcoming. Well, I am prepared to take the matter further. What about so-called normal or able-bodied people? Would they fare any better? It is necessary to delve into the possibilities of any type of disaster taking place at these two facilities.
Take necessary precautions
One of the most important things that must be considered is the fact that these two shows account for the largest number of people gathered together in one place at the same time in T&T. It is therefore very important to have all relevant factors pertaining to disaster preparedness for any eventuality. It is a known fact that disasters occur in varied forms and as a result the necessary precautions must be in place or readily available. The question that must be answered is—are there any?
The old people have some sayings that always provoke thoughts that stimulate concern. For example, ‘don’t lose something in the day and wait till night to use candles to look for it;’ ‘prevention is better than cure’, and ‘don’t see snake and say is worm’, to name a few.
Everyone on board
This is a very serious topic that needs urgent attention. The relevant bodies or authorities must treat this recommendation with utmost concern. I have personally contacted both Pan Trinbago and the National Carnival Commission about the importance of having a disaster preparedness plan as it pertains to evacuation of people who are elderly/disabled. If for some odd reason, a disaster strikes, be it fire, hurricane, earthquake or even violence, are there structures in place? The elderly and disabled will surely perish. On observation at these shows, one could barely see the fire ambulance, Red Cross, army, muster points, and exit signs in the event of a disaster. People from all over the world attend these shows, and it is important that the elderly and/or disabled be dealt with in a manner that is conducive to international standards. Let’s not divide or separate the responsibilities. The pain of these statements, “if we had known” or “we should have known better” could be dealt with in a manner that must not hurt because of stupidity. Put things in place so post-examination could be aligned with preparedness.
By Anton La Fond
Source: www.guardian.co.tt