GRAND TURK, Turks and Caicos Islands; Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 – “The double impact of Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike was the biggest disaster to hit the Turks and Caicos Islands for a generation. That is why the UK Government has granted TCI £5million ($7.5million) for hurricane recovery, and is funding a UK adviser to oversee how it is spent. For several reasons, the TCI Government’s Recovery Task Force (RTF) is behind schedule in presenting fully costed project proposals for approval by the Disaster Recovery Board (DRB), which I chair and which includes the Premier, an Opposition representative and other members. With this year’s hurricane season already upon us, people are rightly wondering what is happening, and why they see so little progress. They deserve answers, which two experts working in this field, Tony Bennett (disaster recovery adviser) and Horatio Tuitt (director of disaster management), endeavour to provide below.”
Gordon Wetherell
Governor
RECOVERY
1. What has been done so far? How prepared are we?
Following the hurricane the Recovery Task Force, helped by the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), developed a Recovery Plan that contains about 170 projects, categorised according to various criteria. Projects were ranked as short/medium/long term and a national priority list was identified. From this list an initial batch of projects, covering health, education, housing and disaster preparedness, will be funded from the UK grant.
The RTF has a moral duty to ensure that all buildings that benefit from the grant are structurally safe. The services of a structural engineer were therefore necessary. Because these skills were not available in the TCI Government the RTF had to go out to private tender for this service and also that of a quantity surveyor. The structural engineering survey was swiftly completed. But while TCIG engineers were preparing scopes of works and internal drawings, there were delays in producing detailed bills of quantities to allow contracting tenders to be issued.
It is important that the RTF and the recovery effort learn from these bottlenecks.
To reduce project delivery time, the RTF has also established a list of pre-qualified contractors that allows a shortened tendering process (3-5 days in most instances). Tender notices went out in April inviting contractors to join this list, which will help speed up the award of contracts without compromising transparency or accountability of the process.
2. What was the delay in re-building in Grand Turk?
A major factor in the delay has been the lack of systems and processes in place to provide the transparency and accountability. These systems and processes, now developed and put into place, should speed up the process as we move forward with further projects. The structural engineer has finished work on the first batch of projects, but the quantity surveyor still has work to do.
3. How has the money pledged by the UK been allocated so far?
The £5m funding from the UK has been allocated to project categories by the DRB on the indicative basis of 25% for health, 20-25% for education, 20-25% for housing, 20% for disaster preparedness. Project proposals falling within the above categories are being developed by the RTF for submission to the DRB for approval. Funds have been allocated and some money paid towards the structural engineer and the quantity surveyor services.
4. When will the tender notices go out?
Tender notices for the contractors to pre-qualify to undertake the work for the first batch of 36 projects were published in April, and the list of pre-qualified contractors were approved at the start of May. This group of pre-qualified contractors will be invited to bid for the contracting building work as it is becomes available. The first tenders are now issuing.
5. When will the Disaster Recovery Board approve funding for debris removal in Grand Turk?
Following the recent ‘Environmental Enhancement Week’, The DRB approved the funding a second phase of debris removal in Grand Turk on 23 June. It is now for the Disaster Management and Environmental Health Departments to organise the contractors, allocate to them the areas from which to remove debris and to monitor and evaluate progress to
ensure the project is successfully implemented with maximum value for money. Once the debris has been removed, it will be necessary for the Environmental Health Department to ensure further debris is not being dumped through the enforcement powers they have.
6. What can the community do to help at this stage?
Communities have an important part to play. Individual people need to show responsibility to others by ensuring their own premises and immediate vicinity are debris-free, taking any debris to the dump for disposal. The local community should also notify Environmental Health Department of anyone seen dumping debris that could become a hazard in a strong wind or hurricane. We hope that community leaders and opinion-formers will reinforce this message of shared responsibility.
7. Can a timeline for specific projects be given at this stage?
The first batch of projects which has gone out to tender for contractor repair work includes the Green Door Disaster Shelter, the Grand Turk Medical and Dental Clinics and the Emergency Operations Centre at South Base in Grand Turk. There will also be contractor tenders soon for pump houses and additional water pumps for both South Caicos and Grand Turk to alleviate flooding problems. A fully budgeted project proposal will then be submitted to the DRB for approval. We envisage that contracts will be issued rapidly and that work will commence by the middle of July. Further project proposals will go to tender and be submitted to the DRB once Engineering and Maintenance Services (EMS) have completed the necessary drawings and scopes of works.
8. Who are the Non-Profit Organizations, which are doing work on the ground?
Through the UK-funded Disaster Recovery Management Adviser there is a link with the Red Cross and Rotary Club, both of which have or are in the process of undertaking various projects from the national priority list contained within the RTF’s Recovery Plan. Rotary has undertaken the repair of six key water storage tanks in Grand Turk and Salt Cay. It is about to start a further water storage tank repair in South Caicos with additional funding from the private sector Hurricane Ike Recovery Trust. The Red Cross hopes to complete two sanitation projects for Grand Turk. It will rectify the current sewage problem at the prison and will build toilet and bathroom facilities in the community for the most vulnerable persons.
9. Speaking of the Disaster Recovery Adviser, how much are the advisers the UK is bringing in costing the TCI people?
Not a cent. The UK Government is funding them all.
10. How is project funding approved?
The Disaster Recovery Board (DRB) is responsible for approving project funding in line with the agreed outputs of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by TCIG and the UK Government. They are also verifying compliance of the RTF projects with transparent tendering procedures. The DRB members are Gordon Wetherell, Galmo Williams, Arthur Robinson, Clive Stanbrook and Vernon Malcolm.
11. How many people are in the task force?
The RTF has representation from TCIG departments as well as representatives from non-profit organisations and civil society, such as Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce and the Pastors Fraternal. The membership of the RTF is fluid, with a pool of approx 35 although regular attendance at the weekly meetings is a nucleus of between 10 and 15 persons.
12. Are there still homeless people in Grand Turk? If so, what help will be provided for them?
Yes, there are still a few persons living in tents, although a recent survey by the RTF through the Housing Department identified that a lot of the tents still visible around Grand Turk are being used for storage. Although not homeless, there are still numerous people living in properties that are structurally weak or not watertight. The RTF has been working on a selection of initiatives with regards to housing for the most vulnerable persons. It is expected that the first of these will be submitted to the DRB for approval soon.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
1. What can the community do to help at this stage?
Disaster Preparedness is all about the community. It is individuals planning for their own safety and that of their immediate families and then providing assistance to the less fortunate such as the elderly and other vulnerable members of society.
2. How do you address the concern of the population at the lateness in preparing the Hurricane season?
By undertaking to do better. We’re hoping that all shelters will be completed by the end of July and the updated list of shelters will be released to the media for the information of the public.
A lot of hard work has taken place in the TCI Government to prepare for the hurricane season. But officials have to learn new systems of transparent programme management. Once these techniques are in place things should speed up.
In addition, the starting point, with repairs from Hurricane Ike still not complete, has been unusually difficult. The government, through the Recovery Task Force and DDME has a duty of care to ensure that the buildings being identified as shelters are structurally sound and will offer protection to the occupants in the event of a storm or hurricane. Since the buildings were all exposed to the impacts of Hurricane Ike, every shelter needs to be inspected by a structural engineer and will be retrofitted and repaired as required. Funding for these repairs is available from the UK grant of £5 million.
Meanwhile every resident and private company is responsible for ensuring that their homes or commercial buildings are constructed to the standards of the building code and that they have a hurricane plan.
3. How many shelters are ready in case of Hurricane?
Our intention to have all shelters completed and ready for full operation before the hurricane season peaks in August/September.
4. Are emergency supplies in place?
The government does maintain a stock of emergency supplies that are required should an emergency event occur. These include cots, blankets, tarpaulins, tools and various other essential items that will be required for use in the shelters and by the First Responders (the police, fire service etc). Plans are also in place for additional items to be obtained from the UK, for example from supplies being held on board Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. .
5. What is the plan to eliminate price gouging?
Price gouging is the opposite of the community spirit we hope will prevail in the event of a disaster. Reports of different types of profiteering often surface just before, during and after major emergencies. The public should report all such cases to the Emergency Operations Centre, who (with the advice of the Attorney General’s chambers) will ensure they are investigated.
6. Will food and water be provided for shelters? Who is paying for it?
Once a shelter is activated, it will have all the basic amenities required, including water. But shelter occupants are expected to bring enough food that does not require cooking to last 48 hrs. The government cannot guarantee that food rations will be provided before this 48 hr period. The relief system is expected to be functional after this period and government in partnership with the private sector and various non-governmental organisations will manage the relief food supply to the shelters and vulnerable persons within the various communities.
7. What assistance can we expect from the UK Government in case of another storm?
The UK Government, via the Governor, is committed to assisting any Overseas Territory affected by natural disasters. They do this by a variety of means such as:
- Making a small team of advisers available to the Governor’s Office and the Emergency Operations Centres to assist with the co-ordination of the response effort
- Making British ships with their disaster stores and helicopters available in the immediate aftermath of the storm
- Providing emergency communications to disaster officials and the response effort
- Co-ordinating relief assistance through the regional and international donor mechanisms on behalf of the TCI
8. What systems will be put in place to help people leave the Islands should they wish to do so?
As demonstrated last year before Hurricane Ike, there are systems and mechanisms ably co-ordinated by TCIAA, the Tourist Board and the Tourism and Hotel Association whereby arrangements can be made with the various airlines to move person’s off-island. Additionally, aircraft can be routed directly into Grand Turk if the need arises.
9. How confident are you that we are prepared in preventing loss of human life?
We will be more confident once the initial retrofit and repair of priority buildings, especially hurricane shelters, is complete. Government disaster managers have a duty of care to ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure the safety and protection of all residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This is why the assistance and co-operation of all members of society is being sought to minimise the risk to human life. Private individuals and companies, for instance, must adhere to the building codes.
10. What is the disaster response exercise from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel?
Disaster managers are holding a mass casualty exercise on 7 July in Grand Turk with the assistance of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). A command-post exercise will subsequently take place in collaboration with a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, the Fort George, on 9 July.
END
