French, Dutch Fire Departments
discuss cooperation disaster relief
PHILIPSBURG--Representatives of the Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin Fire Departments discussed better cooperation in disaster management protocol last week in line with a 2006 accord to foster mutual assistance, the Government Information Service (GIS) reported Sunday.
Dutch St. Maarten Fire Commander Winston Salomon described the meeting with the Office of the Préfet and the Collectivité’s Fire Department on matters such as communication during disaster relief operations and planning for disaster relief as “informative” and “positive,” according to GIS.
“All participants are looking forward to follow-up sessions in the upcoming months,” GIS quoted Salomon as saying. “The goal is to establish practical and workable procedures that will improve mutual cooperation.”
An Administrative Accord signed two years between the French and Dutch sides of the island provides a mechanism to channel better cooperation between the fire services on both sides.
“At the moment, mutual assistance in fire services is rendered on request of either side,” GIS said. The parties discussed exchanging resource lists of the emergency services and coordinating the meteorological services that serve the respective sides of the island in issuing storm watches and warnings.
The main focus of the meeting was expanding cooperation in the area of fire services and disaster management. The meeting was one of a series being organised by Liaison Officer Dutch-French Relations Marcel Gumbs and his counterpart of the Collectivité Melissa Sadano-Nicolas, since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on November 11, 2006, between the governments of St. Maarten and St. Martin.
