When One Person Must Lead a Nation Through Chaos

When Hurricane Melissa tore into Jamaica, the scale of destruction was staggering. Entire communities were cut off, critical infrastructure collapsed, and the national psyche was shaken.

In those moments, when the country reels from catastrophe, there’s one individual at the heart of it all, the Chief Emergency Manager, the Commander, the decision-maker-in-chief inside the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

Their role?

To hold the line between chaos and coordination.
They are the calm in the storm, the person who must make the hard calls when everyone else is waiting for direction.

“In 2019, I attended the Juno Awards in London, Ontario. It was my first experience in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) after finishing my postgrad studies in Emergency Management at Fanshawe College. This experience humbled me and gave me courage and hope. I believe better days are ahead if everyone uses their training and follows the guidelines”.

Inside the Emergency Operations Centre

The Emergency Operations Centre is the brain of disaster response.
 At its core sits the commander, surrounded by three indispensable advisors:

• 🕊 Liaison Officer — connects with government ministries and agencies, ensuring that vital decisions are communicated and authorized.
• 📢 Information Officer — manages media relations and crisis communication, keeping the public informed and preventing misinformation.
• ⚖️ Legal Advisor — ensures that all actions comply with constitutional and human rights law, safeguarding the public interest even amid chaos.

Beyond this inner circle are teams of specialists: Operations, Planning, Logistics, Human Resources, and Finance, each playing a vital role in restoring normalcy. These roles can expand with additional responsibilities and specialized expertise that are tailored to the specific disaster and the resources required.

Phase 1: Life-Saving Operations

In the crucial moments following the impact, the Operations Team springs into action with unwavering determination. Their primary objective is unmistakable: to save as many lives as possible amidst the chaos.

Search and rescue units, equipped with specialized tools and trained personnel, swiftly disperse across the affected areas, diligently working to locate any survivors who may be trapped or in distress. Meanwhile, emergency medical teams expertly set up triage stations, where they assess injuries and provide immediate medical attention to those in need, prioritizing assistance based on the severity of their conditions.

Logistics teams are hard at work as well, coordinating the rapid movement of essential supplies such as food, clean water, and fuel into the most affected zones to prevent further suffering. In tandem with these efforts, crews are mobilized to clear blockaded roads, enabling easier access for rescue operations and emergency responders.

Restoring communications is another critical priority, as technicians work tirelessly to re-establish connectivity for both emergency services and the affected population. Additionally, field hospitals are being set up, complete with medical staff, equipment, and supplies, to provide comprehensive care to those who require hospitalization.

Throughout this complex operation, the commander plays a vital role, meticulously monitoring every aspect of the response. They must ensure that limited resources, ranging from personnel to medical supplies, are allocated efficiently and dispatched to areas of greatest need, all while keeping the lines of communication open among the various teams involved. The weight of responsibility is immense, but the mission remains clear: to save lives in the face of adversity.

Phase 2: Assessment and Planning

As critical life-saving operations begin to stabilize in the aftermath of the disaster, the Planning Team takes on its vital role. Members of this team fan out across the affected areas, meticulously assessing the extent of the destruction. They compile detailed reports on the number of individuals displaced from their homes, categorizing them by age and need, while also mapping out the losses in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and essential services.

This is a crucial juncture where decisions begin to mold the path towards the nation’s recovery:

Questions will start to emerge

Which emergency shelters will remain operational, and for what duration? The team evaluates various facilities such as community centers, gym/school auditoriums, and schools overall to determine which locations can provide safe refuge for displaced families over the coming weeks or months.

How will the educational system function when schools are repurposed to accommodate evacuees? They consider potential alternatives, such as shifting classes to online platforms or renting temporary spaces, factoring in the needs of students as well as the logistical challenges of shared spaces.

What will the framework for food distribution look like over the next 30, 60, or even 90 days? Detailed planning is essential here, involving coordination with local food suppliers, assessment of supply chain capabilities, and development of distribution routes to ensure that those in need receive adequate nourishment.

An important point: I emphasized during my meeting with @kestercraig at @CDEMA in January 2023 in Barbados, the need to define critical infrastructure. Each infrastructure component must have its own risk management strategy and continuity plan for operation after a disaster. This includes roads, food and water supply, communication systems, and more. Having these predefined systems in place will significantly expedite recovery efforts, as the necessary expertise will already be identified, and action plans can simply follow a checklist from a predetermined playbook. Currently, this is not the case.

Each of these responses not only shapes immediate actions but also informs comprehensive government policy decisions and the allocation of critical resources necessary for rebuilding and recovery efforts.

Phase 3: Transition to Recovery

Once the immediate crisis is under control, recovery operations begin.
 Here, the commander’s job becomes less about directing and more about orchestrating, aligning ministries, NGOs, and international partners.

Key priorities include:

• Long-term housing solutions
• Infrastructure and environmental resilience
• Educational continuity (e.g., hybrid or satellite schooling if schools remain shelters)
• Economic recovery and livelihood restoration

This phase requires both technical foresight and political dexterity.

The Jamaican Context: A Test of Leadership

The devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa is profound, with significant impacts felt across various parishes, including Westmoreland, Manchester, Trelawny, and St. James. According to the Prime Minister’s reports, the financial toll of the disaster is estimated to be staggering, ranging between 6 to 7 billion US dollars. This figure is still considered conservative, as it does not fully account for the widespread displacement of families and the myriad of ongoing logistical challenges faced by emergency response teams.

In such critical moments, a commander’s capacity to maintain a clear and focused mindset plays a pivotal role. Their ability to rely on their team, fostering a sense of trust and collaboration, is essential. Furthermore, effective communication can be the decisive factor that determines whether a crisis is managed efficiently or spirals into an uncontrollable catastrophe. In the aftermath of such a severe event, these leadership qualities become vital for navigating the complex landscape of recovery and support for affected communities.

The increasing risk of miscommunication has become evident, particularly after viewing a segment from a Jamaican morning show @tvj. It highlighted how opportunistic individuals are exploiting disasters by creating fake fundraising accounts, utilizing AI-generated videos, and sharing outdated footage of previous calamities. These actions complicate the responsibilities of decision-makers, who must prioritize access to reliable crisis communication and maintain transparency about progress during such challenging times.

The Way Forward: Rebuilding Smart

Former Prime Minister @PJ Patterson discussed the importance of building resilient infrastructure during a special segment of a Jamaica Gleaner video interview. He emphasized the critical need for timely decision-making in this area and highlighted the significant costs associated with delaying these necessary actions.

True recovery will take months, even years.
 It demands new thinking in urban planning, environmental mitigation, and legislation:

• Create setback zones along coastlines.
• Retrofit homes to withstand Category 5+ storms.
• Mandate flood-resistant construction and hillside reinforcement.
• Enforce national building codes that prioritize disaster resilience.

Reconstruction should not just rebuild, it should reimagine Jamaica’s capacity to withstand future disasters.

Final Reflection

The Chief Emergency Manager may be one person, but their strength lies in many hands. Their success depends on the clarity of communication, the discipline of planning, and the courage to decide when decisions are hardest.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica’s path to recovery will be written not only in engineering reports or financial statements, but in the leadership shown within that Emergency Operations Centre.

When one voice leads with purpose, the nation follows with hope. 🇯🇲

References:

• Melissa dissipates, leaves destruction and at least 50 dead in Caribbean — Reuters
• Jamaica struggles to remove debris from Hurricane Melissa as communities remain cut off — AP News
• Melissa crosses Jamaica; local officials say extent of damage unknown — Washington Post

#EmergencyManagement #DisasterResponse #Leadership #HurricaneMelissa #Jamaica #CrisisCommunication #Resilience #PublicPolicy #DisasterRecovery #EmergencyPlanning #ClimateAction #CommandLeadership #CDEMA #ODPEM