OFDA/LAC August 2011 Bulletin

Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, San José, Costa Rica, hosted a meeting with the Government of Peru National Institute for Civil Defense (INDECI) and other strategic partners in Peru to review accomplishments in disaster risk reduction (DRR), preparedness, and response. The meeting, held in Lima on July 26, brought together representatives from the U.N., Swiss cooperation agency COSUDE, and members of the Peruvian National Humanitarian Network. USAID/OFDA and COSUDE recognized INDECI for its leadership in strengthening the country's disaster management and response system during the past five years. The two organizations reviewed activities completed and planned under the memorandum of understanding signed on January 8, 2010. Since the partnership began, USAID/OFDA has assisted INDECI and its partners, such as the Peruvian Volunteer Firefighters Corps, with training, financial support, and technical assistance to strengthen capacity in urban search and rescue, damage evaluation and needs analysis, the incident command system, and response preparedness activities. The Regional Disaster Assistance Program (RDAP) organized annual meetings with national disaster organizations and other stakeholders in each country where the RDAP operates to review training and technical assistance program accomplishments and define priorities with national counterparts. The RDAP has added two new Spanish-language courses to its disaster management training portfolio, including the "Emergency Operations Center Management Course" and the "Effective Use of Water to Extinguish Forest Fires Course." These courses provide emergency workers and firefighters with the basic knowledge and skills required to effectively manage an Emergency Operations Center and operate USAID/OFDA-provided pumps and accessories to extinguish forest fires. In the Caribbean, disaster risk reduction (DRR) priorities and opportunities for cooperation with USAID/OFDA and other institutions in the region were identified during a stakeholder consultation meeting held in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 28. The meeting brought together national disaster organizations, international donors, and other stakeholders from around the region. Participants reviewed their country's or organization's priorities, assessed links to USAID/OFDA's strategy, and analyzed opportunities for institutional cooperation. Shared priorities among many of the Caribbean countries included human resource strengthening, capacity building and training in school safety, shelter management, emergency operations center management, and search and rescue activities. The RDAP provided technical assistance and funding to the Envigado Volunteer Firefighters Corps in Colombia to carry out the Fourth National Forest Firefighter Brigade Mobilization Exercise, which helped various organizations involved in managing forest fires to renew ties, establish new partnerships, and share experiences. The exercise, held in Envigado, Antioquia Department, from July 28 to 31, brought together more than 225 Colombian firefighters, as well as firefighters from Costa Rica and Bolivia.