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Demapan urges post-disaster debriefing to identify ‘failure areas’
Rep. Rafael S. Demapan (R-Saipan) suggests that law enforcement agencies have a post-disaster meeting with other concerned agencies regarding relief and recovery operations.
“Homeland Security is always in charge. What I would suggest is that after things start to settle down, for law enforcement agencies to sit down and identify where the failure areas are,” Demapan said.
He said this will “make it easier” for the community to prepare should another disaster hit the CNMI in the future.
The House vice speaker cited a reported scuffle in a gasoline station and other “chaotic” situations that needs to be addressed. He also mentioned the long queues and apparent confusion in the relief distribution centers in the past weeks.
The lawmaker said even information such as which precinct is most affected is not available to legislators.
“This is one of the major reasons why we need this post-disaster briefing. We do not have this information,” he said.
Precinct 4
According to House floor leader George Camacho (R-Saipan), the precinct that probably suffered the most is Precinct 4.
Although exact figures are not available as of the moment, the lawmaker says one needs only to see the downed telephone and power poles and the significant number of houses with missing roofs.
“We also have shacks up there at the north side of the island which were all damaged,” he said.
He added that there is no report submitted to the Legislature regarding damage households yet.
“The Federal Emergency Management Agency will have the figures probably after the assistance programs are completed,” Camacho said. (Joel Pinaroc)
