The National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) is expanding the number of District Disaster Command Centres across the country to decentralize coordination and communication capabilities at the community level.

The command centres will be constructed using 20-foot storage containers affixed to concrete columns and then outfitted.

To date, nine containers have been acquired which are now being placed in various communities. The goal is to have a centre in each of the 17 disaster districts including Barbuda.

Ultimately, this project seeks to strengthen resilience at the community level by improving their capabilities to plan with critical stakeholders and implement community level activities and response.

A case for this is the recently constructed command center for the St. John’s Rural East District, located on Hawkins Drive in Cassada Gardens, that was opened on 22nd June 2023. It now provides a home base for the function of the District Disaster Committee and serves as a hub for meeting and planning activities.

“Having a dedicated command centre allows NODS to have a wider scope of getting directly to those persons affected, conduct targeted training and have a permanent place of operations, said NODS Director Sherrod James.

Support for the project came through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) Country Directed Fund. NODS is working with the Ministry of Works, the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) and other critical entities to have these command centres completed and operational. – the end –