T&T Red Cross helps community prepare for disaster with VCA training

January 19, 2007

When parts of Rio Claro, South Trinidad, flooded a year ago a group of people came together to help and evacuate their neighbours.

A year later, thanks to the Trinidad & Tobago Red Cross, the Rio Claro Disaster Preparedness Group has volunteers trained in Disaster Preparedness, First Aid and some even in Shelter Management.

Exactly one year ago, on January 19, it rained long and hard in Rio Claro. For 24 hours the water came gushing down and slowly but surely, parts of the community began to flood.

People who couldn’t walk were trapped in their houses. Others struggled to get valuable possessions out as the water rose.

Clive McKnight got on the phone to all the persons he knew and urged them to come down and help our neighbors! And so they did. People were floated out of their homes and many of their possessions were saved.

This year the Rio Claro Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Group counts 40 persons with skills, knowledge and commitment to prepare their respective communities for disaster.

“We have a risk and hazard map of the area, and a capacity map for where we can get help – trucks for instance for evacuations - and where it would be a good place for assembly in case of earth quakes. We have been trained in Shelter Management, First Aid and CPR, and have shared all our findings with local authorities and the rest of the community,” says McKnight, the group’s leader.

The training is called VCA, or a Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment: members of a community learn to see what risks, man-made or natural, their community face, and assess how to deal with them. It has strengthened the community.
 
“We knew of each other, just to say hello to, but now we are a network. If someone needs help somewhere, or when Rio Claro floods again, we know who to go to and what they can do,” McKnight says.

The VCA is a recognized part of the Red Cross’ Disaster Preparedness training worldwide, using a community’s own  knowledge of the area to build capacities and reduce risk.

In 2006 the community in La Sieva and Woodbrook, both in North Trinidad, also went through VCA training.