The National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) will host a two day training workshop on geological hazards next week. This workshop is a collaborative initiative between NEMO, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and the Seismic Research Centre, St. Augustine Campus, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.

The objective of the training workshop are:

• To expose NEMO's staff and key stakeholders to information, knowledge and skills relative to geological hazards.
• To build the capacity at the national level to effectively and efficiently address issues relating to geological hazards.
• To enhance the capacity of the organisation to present, produce and disseminate geological hazard public information educational materials and Public Service Announcements for St. Vincent and the Grenadines unique circumstances.

This training workshop is part of a Technical Assistance Secondment Protocol Programme funded by CDEMA to second professionals from the UWI Seismic Research Centre to address the short-comings at NEMO relative to geological hazards and to strengthen its Geological Hazards Public Education and Awareness Programme. The workshop will take place at NEMO's Conference Room on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th January, 2012, commencing at 9:00 am each day.  The facilitators are Dr. Richard Robertson and Mrs. Stacey Edwards from the UWI Seismic Research Centre.

Following the workshop, Mrs. Stacey Edwards will work with NEMO's staff on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th January to  enhance the Public Education Programme for geological hazards in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to assist in generating and procuring upgraded public education materials on geological hazards, that are tailored for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and to develop a terms of reference and plan of action for the finalization of the Public Education Programme.