By Elesha George
Twenty-one students from various schools in Antigua and Barbuda got first-hand experience into local disaster management operations when they participated in a workshop at the National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) on Wednesday.
The half-day session was a pilot to introduce secondary school students to various employment opportunities within disaster management, and to get them familiarised with the different aspects of NODS’ operations.
“This is a new avenue that we’re pursuing – youth in disaster management workshop – this is something very new. So far, the feedback has been great,” remarked Anderson Tuitt, Preparedness and Response Manager at NODS, who led the main sessions.

It marked the launch of an exciting new initiative that focuses on involving young people in disaster management.
“That’s one of the areas that we want our young people to start to think of venturing into – disaster management – because like we always say, no matter what professions that you think of, there’s always room for you in disaster management,” Tuitt explained.
“So, whether you want to be a doctor or a nurse, or teacher, an accountant – there is room for you in disaster management.”
Going forward, Tuitt said NODS wants to involve young people in NODS’ community disaster executive.
“Just disaster management on a whole. Many of them have been asking for training …and so we’re looking to have sessions for them, just geared at our young people, just those under the age of 18 to really let them have a greater appreciation for what is happening around them,” he said.
The workshop provided an immersive experience, allowing students to gain insight into the intricacies of disaster management.

Midcie Francis, Public Relations Officer at NODS, said that each secondary school on island was invited to send a representative, and although all schools did not participate, the session was well received.
She was pleased with the level of participation from the students.
“I think it went quite well; the students were really participating in the event. They were able to see the operations of NODS as it relates to communications, telecommunications, the operations of the National Emergency Operations Centre, warehousing and the Geographic Information System department. And based on the feedback that I got, it was well received,” she explained.
The NODS workshop is a promising step towards involving young people in disaster management and fostering a new generation of individuals who are well-prepared to face the challenges of disaster response and mitigation. As the initiative gains momentum, it is anticipated that more students will be inspired to pursue careers in this critical field.

This youth-focused initiative is part of the annual Disaster Risk Reduction Week, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.
The week will conclude with a Disaster Management Expo scheduled to take place at the Multi-purpose Centre on Friday from 10am to 2pm.
“We’ve invited a number of our partner agencies to be part of that,” Francis said. Those agencies include the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, the Department of Environment, the Department of Gender Affairs, and the Ministry of Health. There will also be a segment on disaster-proofing roofs.