John Myers, Staff Reporter
Dr. Barbara Carby, Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Today we continue to profile recipients of the prestigious Gleaner Honour Award. Dr. Barbara Carby gets the award in the category public service.
THE EFFECTS of natural disasters - whether it be hurricanes, earthquakes or flood rains - can be devastating for a country and its people. But the implementation of adequate disaster preparedness and emergency measures can significantly reduce these effects.
For the past 12 years, Dr. Barbara Carby has been involved with disaster preparedness and emergency management, the last seven years of which she has been director general of the national emergency disaster response agency.
KEPT BUSY MANY A NIGHT
In her capacity as head of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Dr. Carby has been kept busy many a night during imminent
disasters. She has been quietly steering the team of people who keep the country's emergency systems running while many of us sleep through stormy periods. Since last year, the island has suffered from the effects of at least four hurricanes, one of which hit the south coast and the others sparking flash floods causing heavy rainfall that produced massive flooding and landslides.
Though she strives to do her best, Dr. Carby admitted that the lack of adequate resources causes her to be less than satisfied with the performance of the agency in times of emergencies. "There are always things that you could have done better, (but) part of the problem is that there is so much to do, if you're in the discipline any at all you will understand how much there is to be done, so it is frustrating not being able to do it," she explained from her small office located on Camp Road in Kingston.
Dr. Carby quickly added that "there is so much more I would have liked to do but wasn't able to mainly because of various constraints. I don't like it those times when I can't do what I know needs to be done for one reason or another whether it be resources or people's perception of what they need to do."
VERY DEMANDING JOB
Dr. Carby noted that her job is very demanding: "It is a very time-consuming job ... at the critical times (such as in times of disaster) you're not there. The fact is that when everybody is at home, you are at work and you don't know what is happening to your family."
But despite the challenges, she said she was "satisfied in that I have always tried to improve and to learn from each experience." Dr. Carby added:
"What I like most about it (the job) is the fact that I think it is necessary and it is (about) helping people to protect themselves. One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt is how important it is to be able to work with everybody because I have to interface with a wide variety of organisations, agencies and persons."
Other than her job, Dr. Carby has her views and solutions to problems affecting Jamaica. "We seem to be reacting to things rather than being able to anticipate and put plans in place to deal with situations. That I think needs to be addressed. I personally think that when it comes to crime ... I don't think the crime situation will improve because of policing alone. I think it is going to have to be a whole integrated strategy and I don't think you can leave rural development out that strategy."
