NADMO OPENS A TWO WEEKS MULTI-HAZARD PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE DUBBED: (LIGNITE COAST 2022 PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE…OPERATION….SHIKPON WOSOMO)
Following the recent earth tremors recorded in the nation, the government of Ghana through the National Disaster Management Organisation has tasked stakeholders to lead in ensuring a harmonious collaboration to prevent or mitigate the impact of disaster especially inevitable disasters like the earthquake.
The two weeks strategic exercise is in partnership with the US Embassy and facilitated by the North Dakota National Guard from the United States to equip NADMO and its collaborating agencies with the capacity to manage disasters through the building of an effective Incident Command System for the effective and prompt response to the earthquake and similar disasters when they occur. The workshop is expected to have detailed illustrations of operations at disaster scenes coupled with a full-scale simulation exercise on the field to practically test the capabilities of response institutions.
Opening the Workshop on 13th June, 2022 by NADMO’s Deputy Director-General in charge of Technical and Reforms, Mr. Seji Saji, emphasized that the recent tremors necessitated this exercise which the president of the republic, H.E Nana Akufo Addo is highly interested in to save lives and livelihoods.
He further mentioned that it is imperative to test the various Standard Operating Procedures of various institutions to identify existing Gaps to strengthen them to manage and respond promptly and effectively to multi-hazards.
Collaborating Institutions were drawn from NADMO, Fire Service, Ghana Armed Forces (48 Engineers Regiment), Ambulance Service, Police Service, National Security, National Communications Authority, Ghana Health Service, Geological Services, and Volta River Authority amongst others.
Also present at the workshop were LTC Mark MeEvers, Leader of the North Dakota National Guard, NADMO’s Deputy Director-General in charge of Operations, Mr. Abu Ramadan, LT. Col. Abdul-Bashiru Issah (Ghana Armed Forces Joint Operations and Planning), and Dr. Forster Ansong-Bridjan AG. Director of Operations, (National Ambulance Service), DSP Francis Oppong Agyare, (Emergency Command Centre, Police HQ), DO1 Joseph Kofi Forson, AG. Deputy Director of operations (National Fire Service)