Regiment assists in flood clean-up
In an immediate response to a call received at approximately 3:00am (Friday 13th September 2013) from the Office of the Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), the Commanding Officer of the 1st Engineer Battalion, Trinidad and Tobago Regiment dispatched both troops and equipment to the areas affected by heavy rainfall caused by flash flooding in Diego Martin and Environs. The Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard was also called upon to render aerial support by providing troops on the ground with information and directions to the affected neighbourhoods. The areas severely affected include Sierra Leone, Petit Valley and various sections along the Diego Martin Highway.
In anticipation of flood related damages in the North, the Regiment’s assets were pre-positioned at Camp Ogden, St James. Regiment heavy equipment began clearing the roads and drains in the affected areas before dawn and throughout the day, troops have been conducting manual river clearings and rendering assistance to affected .residents.
On arrival, personnel from the Engineer Battalion took the Minister of Justice, Senator the Honourable Emmanuel George a resident of the area and representatives from the Diego Martin Regional Corporation (DMRC) on a tour of the areas affected. Acting Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Phillips-Spencer was also seen earlier today in the affected areas interfacing with troops and residents.
Commenting on the assistance rendered by the Regiment in clean up operations, Colonel Rodney Smart, Commanding Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment commented, “the prepositioning of our troops and equipment allowed boots and assets to be on location in under one hour of receiving the call from the ODPM”.
The Engineer Battalion is still engaged in cleanup activities in Diego Martin and Environs