Tsunami response plan proposed

October 17, 2009 02:43:59 PM

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Fiji’s Disaster Management Committee (DISMAC) has unveiled a proposed response plan in the event of a tsunami, as part of which hotels and telecommunications companies have agreed to help set up an early warning system involving sirens that could also be used during other natural disasters such as cyclones and earthquakes.

In a presentation in Suva yesterday, DISMAC principal officer Pajiliai Dobui made it clear that fatalities and injuries would occur if a tsunami did hit Suva.

He said tsunamis posed a “clear and present danger” and while the emergency services and DISMAC were prepared should Fiji be hit by a tsunami, there was an urgent need for capacity building through the provision of human resources, physical/ technical assets, processes and frameworks and policy and legislation.

Dobui said several types of warning systems had been developed with varying degrees of success.

The recommended version would cost $25,000 each.

Proposed to be activated remotely by text/sms possibly from a National Disaster Management Office duty officer, the siren would cover a range of three to five kilometers, have different tones for tsunamis, cyclones and earthquakes and have a 20-year life cycle.

Dobui said the Fiji Islands Hoteliers and Tourism Association had agreed to install siren system in coastal hotels at the association’s own cost.

The Vodafone Fiji Foundation had agreed to contribute $100,000 towards the system while Vodafone, Telecom Fiji and Digicel had agreed to the use of their towers as installation sites, said Dobui.

He said small sirens could also be installed at strategic local locations to cover several villages, while encouraging the use of local early warning systems such as the beating of the lali (Fijian drums) the blowing of the davui (conch shell), and the ringing of church.

More specific warnings were needed based on risk areas, possible through risk mapping and interpretation by MRD Seismology, Dobui said.

Following concerns by authorities that some media outlets had overreacted during the tsunami warning two weeks ago, Dobui said the media would be asked to carry any future warnings only after confirmation by the National Disaster Management Office, instead of directly carrying warnings issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) or the United States Geological Service (USGS).

He said that because all agencies had access to warnings, this created an overflow of unverified information. Coordination was also needed between the Nadi Weather Office and the Mineral Resources Department’s seisomology section, which issues all earthquake and tsunami-related information in Fiji.

Although information is received from the USGS and the PTWC, there is a need for verification by MRD Seismology.

The Tsunami Response Plan had been endorsed by the National Disaster Management Committee and needed Cabinet approval for implementation.

Dobui said the review and promulgation of the 2006 National Disaster Management Act and Plan was completed in late 2006.

He said a review was required to finalise the Plan while the Act needed to be review to harmonise with the Plan.

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