The Tobago Community Emergency Response Team was born from the need to have trained and certified personnel responding quickly and in an efficient and reliable manner to save lives in the event of an emergency or disaster in rural communities of Tobago. At present two (2) of proposed three (3) centers are occupied and operational. They are located at: Top Hill, Speyside and Moriah.
These Centers located with consideration given to the range of Tobago’s rural communities accessing Emergency Response in the event of an emergency or disaster. Therefore each center is equipped with the following structural features:
Reception Area- A walk-in area where the public can submit reports and access advice and booklets related to incidents of emergencies and disaster management.
Training Area and Conference Room- designated for continuous training for Emergency Technicians as they keep updated on Emergency, Disaster Management practices and procedures. This area is furnished with a mini-Library for reference material. It is also used for staff meetings and in a circumstance where privacy is needed while dealing with a customer or patient.
Operations and Communication Post- this area is equipped with VHF, HF and Marine radios. Our VHF communication is supported by repeaters at Flag Staff and French Fort to carry our transmission, but power-outages in these areas will affect this system of communication. Our emergency response team relies on the HF radios to communicate although atmospheric conditions may from time to time affect the clarity of these media. Each Center is equipped with generators for standby power in the event of an outage. Should the VHF and Marine radios fail, we depend on our HF radios as a back-up.
Kitchen- This area is equipped with cupboards, refrigerator, stove, microwave and other utensils necessary for the preparation of meals since our technicians work a 48 hour shift system without leaving the base for home.
Sleeping Dorms- One dorm for male and another for female technicians, furnished with cupboards along with single and double decker beds. The dorms are intended for use by technicians on 48 hour shifts.
Toilet and Bathroom facilities.
Store Room Area: is the storage area for the supplies and equipment of the response center. Items are checked, monitored and accounted for as they are used on a daily basis:
1. Medical equipment
2. Emergency flash lights
3. Umbrellas
4. Prism Lights
5. Lanterns
6. Tarpaulins
7. Mattresses
8. Spinal Boards
9. Drinking Water
10. Water rescue equipment- Inflatable boat, Gas tank, Engine, Rescuer and Victim life vest
11. Chain Saws
12. Extractor fans- useful when entering a smoke filled room,
13. Generators- electricity outage.
14. High Angle equipment-
15. Bob Cat Skid Steer Loader- used in the clearing of roads or passages from debris.
16. Grapple- attachment to skid steer loader to lift trees in pathway.
Daily Checks and Logs:
It is mandatory that all mechanical equipment be checked daily for functionality or observation of malfunctioning with correction.
Visitor entries and purpose of visit to the premises are logged in log book.
