Caption: National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Director Ms. Vasiti Soko with referees who will be engaged to evaluate the National Simulation Exercise planned as part of this year’s National Disaster Awareness Week (NDAW).
SUVA – Referees who will be evaluating the National Simulation Exercise at this year’s National Disaster Awareness Week (NDAW) were reminded about the importance of the role they will play in the upcoming week.
The 2023 NDAW will feature a National Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) where agencies will work together and prepare themselves to deal with earthquakes and tsunamis. The SIMEX will demonstrate coordination among national and international agencies and showcase Fiji’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
The SIMEX will test the implementation of the Tsunami Response Plan.
In addressing the referees during their training at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) in Suva on October 10, National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Director Ms. Vasiti Soko reminded these experts about the reason behind their selection to be part of this important national exercise.
The referees comprise both international and local experts, specialising in academic, civil military, incident management teams, search and rescue, and regional and national response.
“You have been selected to be Referees because of your in-depth experience and knowledge of disaster risk reduction, and I ask that you put this into practice over the next few days. Most importantly, your role as a Referee will be to evaluate these various components that will make the whole exercise process a valuable learning experience,” Ms Soko reminded the referees.
During their training, the referees were taken through the various components of this year’s event.
“Certain key events are included on purpose or exercise injects as we call them to test and put pressure on the plan, which should be carefully monitored. In addition to the overall monitoring, you will be responsible for carefully checking how participants respond to key events. It is important to remember that this is not about testing individual performance, but about monitoring how individual responses relate to the expected outcomes and if the objectives are met. At the After-Action Review, I look forward to hearing the ideas and opportunities for improvement that you generate through participation in the NDAW,” she added.
The 2023 NDAW will be held from October 17 – 18 at the Albert Park in Suva. As part of this year’s event, the NDMO will also set up a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) exhibition that will allow agencies to promote their work and raise awareness on DRR, and the importance of disaster preparedness.
Members of the public can access more information about this year’s event at the following link: http://fiji-ndaw-23.com
Caption: National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Director Ms. Vasiti Soko with referees who will be engaged to evaluate the National Simulation Exercise planned as part of this year’s National Disaster Awareness Week (NDAW).
-ENDS-
The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is responsible for implementing development strategies that bring Fijians living in rural and maritime regions the same level of access to essential services and economic opportunities as anywhere else in the country. We coordinate and implement the Fiji Government’s rural and maritime development initiatives with a mission to empower Fiji’s rural sector. We also spearhead disaster risk reduction initiatives at national and sub-national level including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. We have offices for each of Fiji’s 14 provinces including Rotuma, leading the Fijian Government’s rural development and disaster risk management operations.
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