| Date: Sun 01-May-1994 Paper Page: 16A Publication: Sunday Sun Creator: Anthony Blackman 'HURRICANE ARTHUR ripped through Paradise Island on Friday afternoon catching hundreds of schoolchildren unprepared'. "The Hurricane Arthur experience is just a sample of what thousands of schoolchildren and adults have been exposed to when they visit the elaborate Vulnerability Disaster Mitigation and Security exhibition at the Village of Hope located at the Barbados Community College. The impressive exhibition, a joint effort coordinated by the Barbados Defence Force, showcases the capability of the Regional Security System (RSS), Caribbean Disaster Response Agency (CDERA) and the Barbados Red Cross to adequately respond to all types of emergencies. The exhibition which takes up most of the Liberal Arts section of the college and spills onto the grounds has as its most realistic exhibit Harry Kane House -- a simulation exercise which gives visitors an experience of a devastating hurricane. Patrons are invited into the house and are invited to relax on the comfortable mahogany chairs which decorate it, or they can take a seat on the soft rug on the floor. They soon become engrossed in the popular daytime soap opera, the Bold And The Beautiful being screened on a colour television set in one corner of the house. The programme is suddenly interrupted by Doug Hoyte who warns that a strong hurricane named Arthur is approaching Paradise Island. And as has happened when real hurricanes threatened, most of the occupants ignored the warning and continued following the exploits of Ridge Forrester and Sally Spectra. Indeed, only a few glanced through the window of the house (a projector) and noticed that the once beautiful day had turned dark and it was raining heavily. It was only when the television suddenly went dark that all eyes focused on the window, in time to see trees being violently tossed to and fro. They watched as the "neighbour's" house lost its roof then sides to the strong winds. They were unmoved throughout the ordeal, that is, until a large tree crashed through the roof of the dining room sending them scampering and screaming for cover. When they emerged, most of the kids gave the exercise a "thumbs up" for a realistic portrayal, especially the falling tree experience. "I learnt a lot about hurricanes and the destruction they can cause", said 13-year-old Kelvin of Alexandra School. From there it was onto Paradise where they were shown a film on hurricane preparedness, the destruction which they can cause and the response of emergency personnel. Another booth in the exhibition explains the role and work of the RSS as well as CDERA. On the grounds of the college under three tents, patrons are shown the actual response teams and how they would set up and operate in the event of a major disaster. These include field engineers, who would provide emergency lighting so that other response teams can operate and also clear roads and the like. There is also a medical tent set up explaining how medical aid is rendered during a disaster, and a field kitchen where emergency personnel can prepare their meals on site. |