On Tuesday July 17, 2012 the ground-breaking ceremony for the Emergency Operations Center Departmental (COUD) was held in Miragoâne. The center will also include a Disaster Relief Warehouse and a Fire Station.

Several local and U.S. officials, including Mrs. Colombia Barrosse, the Consul General of the United States in Haiti, the Director of the Direction of Civil Protection, Mrs. Alta Jean Baptiste, the Departmental Delegate, Mr. Alex Tropnas and the Mayor of Miragoâne, Mr. Joseph Franseau, attended this event.

Functional emergency operations centers and relief warehouses are critical to saving lives and minimizing damage to property immediately after disasters. The Emergency Operations Center will allow local emergency response personnel to collect and analyze reported information, make decisions, and manage Haiti’s collective response to emergencies or major natural events. The warehouse will store the materials necessary to respond and provide relief to affected populations.

The Fire Station will provide additional fire fighting and emergency service capabilities to the Miragoâne area. This facility will increase the quality of life of the local population by helping provide vital and needed services. The facility will also be available to play a significant role in the event of a larger scale emergency within Haiti.

Speaking on behalf of Ambassador Merten, Mrs. Colombia Barrosse said "Haiti is taking the necessary steps for a safer, more resilient country that is less vulnerable [...] The United States government looks forward to continuing our fruitful partnerships with the Government of Haiti and members of the International Community to make Haiti safer and assist the people of Haiti in building and sustaining their capacity to prepare for, and respond to emergencies..."

For her part, the Direction of Civil Protection Director, Mrs. Alta Jean Baptiste, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Thierry Mayard Paul saluted U.S. contributions to this project, and highlighted that "the civil protection is not the issue of a person. All sectors must be united on a coordination base. For this reason, the Emergency Operations Center will be built in Miragoâne. This center will provide a space to conduct operations."

After the January 12, 2010, the U.S. government has helped the Haitian government strengthen its emergency response capacity. Working in partnership with the Haitian government, including Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, a total of ten centers (COUD) will be built throughout the country at a total cost of over USD $34 million. These essential facilities will help the Government of Haiti better protect its population and respond to the extreme situations.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-3079-haiti-climate-michel-martelly-visited-the-coun.html

HL/ HaitiLibre