Major General (Retired) Rodney Smart, CEO of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) and Chairman of the National Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Multi-Sectoral Committee, shares valuable insights into the national disaster management system and the crucial role of the ODPM.
Major General Smart outlined the five key areas of disaster management: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. He emphasised that effective disaster management is not only about responding to emergencies but also about what a country can do in advance to prevent and reduce risks.
He explained that the ODPM’s role spans coordination across agencies, public education, early warning systems, and guiding national strategies to build resilience. Through multi-sectoral collaboration, the organisation works to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago is better equipped to face natural and man-made hazards.