Joint Services unveils CWC preparedness
Kaieteur News
February 1, 2007
More than 125 senior officers from the Joint Services completed a two-day seminar at the Guyana Defence Force Gymnasium, Camp Ayanganna, which focused on their preparedness for Cricket World Cup 2007.
The officers, who were drawn from the GDF, Police, Fire and Prison Services were informed by way of several presentations that outlined aspects of their role in the Guyana leg of the cricket mega-event which commences in the Caribbean in March.
Yesterday, Colonel Frank Bishpam, of the Guyana Defence Force said that the symposium was an initiative of Chief-of-Staff Edward Collins.
“We recognized the need to do our part in the event of any scenario during the Cricket World Cup,” Colonel Bishpam said.
He listed scenarios like bomb threats, fire, protest and medical evacuation in the event of a collapse of structures at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, which will host the Guyana leg of matches.
The symposium was also aimed at preparing the Joint Services to support other agencies such as the Ministry of Health and the Civil Defence Commission to ensure that everything that is put in place for the event functions smoothly.
Presentations were done on traffic, immigration, fire and coast guard responsibilities.
Security of Teams, Officials, Media and Sponsors (TOMS) and spectators from the time of their arrival in the country, to their hotel, the venue and right up to their departure was also looked at.
Coming out of the presentations it was observed that immigration has the biggest role to play, having to process thousands of incoming and outgoing passengers. Traffic follows in importance.
The symposium is the first in a series of activities aimed at sensitizing Joint Services personnel to the magnitude of the task ahead.
The big assumption is that the Joint Services is capable of pulling off a successful Cricket World Cup security plan.
There are reports that the security at the stadium will be primarily carried out by private security concerns while the Joint Services will only make up 20 percent of that component.
According to Colonel Bishpam, apart from yesterday's activity, there will also be a command post exercise, which will simulate the role of those who will be involved in the security arrangements.