Health and Safety Services 

The GRCS operates a Health Department which offers first aid service at public and private events. It provides First Aid and Mass Care Training to the public, and conducts ‘healthy living” sessions at malls, exhibitions and in urban and rural communities.

The GRCS participates in the national, regional and international fight against HIV/AIDS by providing updated information and training at community level to reduce the social impact of the infection on individuals and the national community. The broad areas for this action center on Prevention, Care and Support and Advocacy.

The key areas of focus are the HIV/AIDS/STI’s Peer Education Program, ‘Together We Can” which involves youth from the ages of fourteen to twenty four, a Social Awareness Campaign – “Ride the BUS (Building Understanding for Safety) Campaign”, and “Care for the Caregivers”, which provides all round care for persons living with HIV or AIDS and their caregivers.

More recently the department has also been able to offer psychosocial wellness training and services to volunteers and beneficiaries in community.

View our Emergency Response Action Plan

top ^

Social Welfare

The GRCS distributes parcels of food, clothing and small household items like mattresses, cooking utensils and sometimes cash, most of which come from donations from the public and private organizations (corporate) or through fundraising. There is a wheelchair and crutches service offered to the public when these items are available.

top ^

Communications

The GRCS disseminates information about the Movement and its Principles and Values and the work of the Red Cross through internal sessions of the national society, and externally through media interviews, news releases, advertisements, brochures, exhibitions, community outreach activities and the IFRC Caribbean newsletter and website.

The Society has been represented at the national and international level of training in and dissemination of International Humanitarian Law.

Tracing though very rare is another function of the department; many persons have either been reunited with their families or have had vital information of one kind or another passed on or received through the national society such as a returning soldier being contacted overseas to visit a sick or dying relative back home.

top ^

Disasters

The GRCS works together with the national authorities, other humanitarian organizations, and the public to provide relief in times of disaster, providing food, clothing, emergency relief supplies, and first aid services to the affected; it also assists in shelter management, search and rescue (if necessary), and public education.

The Disaster Preparedness Plan operates in collaboration with the National Disaster Preparedness Plan, and the GRCS is an integral part of the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA). The GRCS sits on the highest level body which is the advisory council chaired by the Prime Minister.

top ^

Youth Activities

The Youth Division operates within the primary and secondary school system where its members, over five thousand, are closely monitored by patrons who are teachers, principals and school supervisors.

Each year the Youth reacquaint themselves to the service of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and its Principles and Values, they take part in a national rally of the Red Cross where they share experiences and “show off” their earnings (badges on uniform) through the National Youth Award Program of the Society.

The society has successfully participated in the Regional Youth Camp held in different countries over the past three years – GRCS hosted the Regional Youth camp of 2006.

Health and Safety Department - Emergency Response Action Plan

Introduction

The Health & Safety Department, through its core of currently certified First Aiders and volunteers, will provide services aimed at alleviating human suffering with the main intention being the resumption of national services back to a state of normalcy in the shortest possible time.

Before an Incident

1. Training of volunteers to ensure their skills are up to date with jurisdictions and acceptable under the different code of ethics involved (NERO, Police, Hospital etc.)
2. Information dissemination to ensure a common understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the players involved
3. Testing the emergency response plan through desktop and other simulation exercises.

During the Incident

If the incident is one of slow onset (e.g. hurricane) the emergency response team will be ready to disperse to various sites for setup and possible execution of the action plan.

If the incident is one of quick onset (e.g. earthquake) the emergency response team will stay put and await the call for action to commence.

It must be appreciated that most of the volunteers are themselves family persons and so will be expected to secure their property and family members before volunteering their services. However, as part of preparation to volunteer services, these volunteers are made to understand the urgency of response time.

After the Incident

Teams are provided at different sites to operate on a shift system at shelters once established.

Services in first aid and welfare, tracing and counseling, are available from the local Health & Safety Services Department of the Red Cross.

Special Incidents

There are times when the services of the Red Cross may vary to meet the needs of the incident. Apart from disasters, special incidents will occur when the Red Cross has a role to play.

An example of such is a “Mass Casualty Incident” where the number of casualties resulting from the incident is greater than the normal emergency services can accommodate, for example, a bus accident, plane crash, chemical spill etc. (please refer to the document – “The Role of the Red Cross in a Mass Casualty Incident.”)

The Red Cross is responsible for assistance with the First Triage, stretcher bearing, assistance with the “green” patient in the AMP, reassuring relatives and friends and other responsibilities as set forward by the AMP Manager and/or the Incident Commander.