Fiji now has a state of the art facility that will enhance disaster risk reduction and disaster response activities in the country.
This is after the opening of the refurbished National Emergency Operations Centre at Nasilivata House in Samabula.
The refurbished facility is fitted with dedicated equipment and software to allow for effective and efficient coordination of activities of disaster monitoring, warning and immediate post disaster response including disaster relief work.
Minister for Infrastructure and Disaster Management, Jone Usamate who officiated at the event this afternoon says the centre is linked with systems to hazard warning agencies such as Fiji Meteorological Services and the Seismology Unit.
Usamate says this will allow for lead time in preparing for and responding to the various hazards that we in Fiji are familiar with like cyclones, floods, earthquakes and tsunamis.
He adds that this system is also linked with two of their response agencies, the Fiji Maritime Surveillance Rescue Coordination Centre and the Fiji Naval Division.
Usamate says reports can now be impact based, with decision makers knowing where to deploy the right assets that the affected communities get the right type of assistance.
Usamate has also revealed that his Ministry through the NDMO will also seek to ensure that this same system will be rolled out to Divisional Emergency Operation Centres so that collaboration between the national and sub national level is strengthened.
The refurbishment works have been made possible through funding assistance from the European Union, Australian Government and the Building Resilience in the Pacific Project of the Pacific Community.
Meanwhile, the European Union has also handed over two fibre glass boats which will be strategically placed with the Provincial Administrator Lomaiviti and the Provincial Administrator Kadavu to assist their district emergency operation centres in coordinating emergency response and relief work in the event of disasters.
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