2009 Speeches
Closing of the USAID/OFDA Risk Management Training Course
Remarks by U.S. Charge d'Affaires, Timothy Zuniga-Brown
Royal Bahamas Defense Force Base
January 23, 2009
Good afternoon friends and colleagues. Congratulations on successfully completing the “Risk Management Training for Instructors” seminar. This is a great course with great trainers.
If you’re like me, you feel lucky that you live in such a beautiful part of the world. Unfortunately, the cost of living in paradise is dealing with natural disasters like hurricanes every year. What you learned this week will benefit this country and other countries in the region for years to come.
We all know how important preparedness is – the more we plan in advance, the better we can act in the event of an actual disaster. What you have learned this week takes the idea of being prepared one step further. You have learned how to teach others to be prepared – a skill that will benefit the entire Caribbean region. By giving others the knowledge and skills to plan, cope, and react to an emergency, you are ultimately saving lives.
I’ve been told that this particular course has been offered in Nassau before and that graduates are promoted to more senior positions almost before they walk out the door. This does not surprise me in the slightest. Hurricane and disaster preparedness is a priority for this region, and those who have disaster assistance skills are a commodity.
OFDA actively prepares for each hurricane season and encourages training like this, which was conducted jointly with the Bahamian Government. NEMA has always shown support to OFDA and has consistently worked as a partner with USAID.
I am very pleased that this training was jointly coordinated between NEMA and OFDA. It demonstrates our strong relationship and our mutual goals of reducing loss of life and lessening the economic impact of disasters. This training makes you an important asset in maintaining the proper level of preparedness in the region. You should be proud that you have completed this course and are on your way to becoming official OFDA instructors.
I certainly hope that you will take what you have learned and continue to train others for many years to come. Like I mentioned earlier, preparedness is the key to the successful recovery from a disaster. I’m pleased that so many of you were able to attend this training and I have no doubt I will hear great things about you in the future.
Congratulations again on graduating from this course.
Thank you.
2009 Speeches
Closing of the USAID/OFDA Risk Management Training Course
Remark s by U.S. Charge d'Affaires, Timothy Zuniga-Brown
Royal Bahamas Defense Force Base
January 23, 2009
Good afternoon friends and colleagues. Congratulations on successfully completing the “Risk Management Training for Instructors” seminar. This is a great course with great trainers.
If you’re like me, you feel lucky that you live in such a beautiful part of the world. Unfortunately, the cost of living in paradise is dealing with natural disasters like hurricanes every year. What you learned this week will benefit this country and other countries in the region for years to come.
We all know how important preparedness is – the more we plan in advance, the better we can act in the event of an actual disaster. What you have learned this week takes the idea of being prepared one step further. You have learned how to teach others to be prepared – a skill that will benefit the entire Caribbean region. By giving others the knowledge and skills to plan, cope, and react to an emergency, you are ultimately saving lives.
I’ve been told that this particular course has been offered in Nassau before and that graduates are promoted to more senior positions almost before they walk out the door. This does not surprise me in the slightest. Hurricane and disaster preparedness is a priority for this region, and those who have disaster assistance skills are a commodity.
OFDA actively prepares for each hurricane season and encourages training like this, which was conducted jointly with the Bahamian Government. NEMA has always shown support to OFDA and has consistently worked as a partner with USAID.
I am very pleased that this training was jointly coordinated between NEMA and OFDA. It demonstrates our strong relationship and our mutual goals of reducing loss of life and lessening the economic impact of disasters. This training makes you an important asset in maintaining the proper level of preparedness in the region. You should be proud that you have completed this course and are on your way to becoming official OFDA instructors.
I certainly hope that you will take what you have learned and continue to train others for many years to come. Like I mentioned earlier, preparedness is the key to the successful recovery from a disaster. I’m pleased that so many of you were able to attend this training and I have no doubt I will hear great things about you in the future.
Congratulations again on graduating from this course.
Thank you.