KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says he will convene a meeting with the National Disaster Committee next Monday September 16, to discuss Jamaica’s state of readiness in the event of a disaster.

McKenzie, who spoke at the monthly meeting of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation in Falmouth yesterday, said the Government is not prepared to adopt a “wait and see” attitude, and will be proactive in its approach.

“As the local authority with responsibility for preparedness, we must be proactive in what we are doing. Assessments need to be done now as to where we are in terms of our shelters [as well as] the critical areas of the parish that would need attention,” the minister emphasised.

He said that all municipal corporations will be put on notice to activate their respective disaster response mechanisms to ensure that the necessary resources, such as provisions, equipment, volunteers and more, are in place and are ready to be deployed in case of any emergency.

The minister said the Government is treating this as a vital matter, because more than 98 per cent of the country’s capital towns are near the coast.

“We have to, as a country, start to examine how we treat disasters, and I am saying this today, that we are prepared now to invoke the provisions under the Disaster Risk Management Law that speaks to compulsory evacuation of communities across the country,” McKenzie said.

“For too long we see where communities that are prone to flooding refuse to heed the call. This Government is not going to put itself in any position because a few refuse to heed the warning. We are prepared to throw the book at those persons who will not accede to the request to relocate if the need arises,” he added.