Torres administration comes up with joint typhoon plan

The administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has come up with a CNMI Catastrophic Typhoon Plan, a general public information and warning fact sheet that will be followed by agencies that are first responders and are involve in times of typhoons.

The primary purpose of the fact sheet, put together by the CNMI Joint Information Center, is to support a joint analysis of a Category 4 typhoon response for public information and warning. It describes in detail the impact of a catastrophic typhoon in the Commonwealth.

Last year, Saipan was not prepared to handle Typhoon Soudelor as it pummeled the island, with its tornado-like winds downing power poles and destroying houses.

The fact sheet also describes in detail how to deliver basic information and guidance to the public during times of disaster. For example, most government agencies do not have public information officers and they must have a back-up plan or train someone.

“Disaster public information requires special attention and coordination on the process of preparation and dissemination. Information that concerns an emergency situation affecting the general public must be accurate and timely,” said in the fact sheet.

Providing accurate, coordinated, timely, and accessible information to the public—including the media; newspaper, television, and radio—government officials, and the private sector is a requirement.

“Life-saving and life-sustaining information must be coordinated among local, territory, and federal stakeholders, and be accessible to individuals with disabilities, others with access, and functional needs; those from diverse religious, racial or ethnic.”

The governor’s press secretary’s office will be the lead agency that is responsible in providing the public the information and warning activities for the CNMI. The Department of Homeland Security and the local Federal Emergency Management Agency through the FEMA office of external affairs will be its counterpart.

The CNMI’s Homeland Security Emergency Management Emergency Operation Center will activate the public information plan with the staff of the Commonwealth’s PIO tasked to provide the Governor’s Office updates and other information.

The contents of the fact sheet were gathered from input from different agencies that became part of JIC last year. It is a joint catastrophic plan that would help prepare the CNMI in future disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruption, tsunami, and even civil unrest.

Government agencies need to know its basic responsibilities before, during, and after disasters like evacuation plan, responding to emergencies, and how to address the issue on hazardous materials or other wastes. Releasing accurate information before and after a disaster is important.