 Back here at home, the National Emergency Management Organization has received communications equipment, supplies and training from the World Bank via the Disaster Vulnerability Resilience Program. This is all part of NEMO better positioning itself to communicate effectively during or after disaster. Glenn Simon reports. The National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, has increased its communications resilience ahead of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. NEMO received technical and financial support from the World Bank via the Disaster Vulnerability Resilience Program DVRP. Honourable Guy Joseph, Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation received a presentation from NEMO of the equipment and support provided by the DVRP, which falls on the HIST's portfolio. It is clear that NEMO is making the transition from not just being called a command centre to deal with disasters, but being fully prepared themselves to be able to respond, to communicate and to do all of the necessary things. NEMO's director Doreen Gustav stated that NEMO has received VHF radios and equipment, which have been installed at health facilities, fire and police stations around the island, as well as in secluded, hard-to-reach communities, usually inaccessible during or post a disaster. We realised that VHF radio communication is one of the most resilient ways of communicating post a disaster and so we knew that we needed to bring it up to par so we can keep that communication line open. The communications officer with NEMO, Lionel Ellis, noted that over the years, NEMO has suffered from a lack of equipment to truly call its base operations a true emergency centre. The new equipment, he says, has enhanced NEMO's communications abilities. NEMO, I think, and I'm very proud to say that NEMO is getting to be number one in the Caribbean in terms of disaster preparedness in communications and I can tell you that because I've worked in a lot of countries and they're not as sophisticated as NEMO's inclusion. But most of all, NEMO has its own network and the network spans across their island and also to CIDEMA in Barbados. The DVRP also provided NEMO with a new vehicle, several electronic tablets capable of sending real-time information from disaster response teams on the ground, an advanced information management system as a central repository for NEMO's information and an early warning multi-hazard siren system for vulnerable communities. With this equipment, we are able to network NEMO in a manner that the information that we receive in here can get out to the various media houses, various persons, our donor agencies in a timely manner. IT officer with the Celusia Fire Service, Trevor Hunt, said the fire service and NEMO will each be provided with a search and rescue drone. These are high-tech drones capable of operating in adverse weather conditions for up to 45 minutes with infrared technology. So when we look at situations of disasters, for instance, a storm or anything of that sort, the drone will be able to go out there to survey the areas, affected areas even with a storm ongoing and relay live information back to NEMO's headquarters so that they can make the best decisions on the situation. Trading will also be provided for up to 15 persons around the island on the proper operations of the drone. Minister Joseph also indicated that the support provided to NEMO must be seen as an important aspect in building the overall resilience of Celusia. To be on the map as one of the countries in the region with one of the most modern technology systems for response to disaster is in itself a great achievement and I would like to place on record our thanks and appreciation to the World Bank through the DVRP project for the assistance that they have given to NEMO because sometimes these things are not very visible. All of the things you see behind me there, they are not seen as the visible projects. A nice building is seen, a proper road and then you get a grand opening but these are the things that build a backbone to true resilience. Under the DVRP, NEMO will also receive training and equipment for its community emergency response teams and its damage needs assessment teams. For the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, Glenn Simon reporting.