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HOME	APRIL 02nd, 2005

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There has been an official change in the name of the umbrella organisation responsible for Disaster Management in Grenada.

The National Emergency Relief Organisation (NERO) has now become the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA). The name change was approved by Cabinet last October following advice from the emergency operations centre management committee.

NADMA's Coordinator Sylvan McIntyre says the name will reflect a wider mandate not restricted to Hurricane relief. "Disaster is more than Hurricane. Disaster management involves much more than relief. The belief that NERO was responsible for managing relief had to be corrected to replace the entire scope of work the organisation has been involved in", he said.

The name change also reflects a new method of operating and facilitates equipment and staffing such as a Public Education Specialist, a Community Disaster Planning Specialist and a contingency planning specialist as a consultant for 9 month.

Mc Intyre said: "The paradigm shift is towards comprehensive disaster management which incorporates the entire disaster circle - preparedness, response relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and mitigation". "Emanating out of the disaster management issue the organisation felt it relevant to adopt the name change which will reflect its entire mandate", he added.

NERO came in for tremendous criticisms from the public over its handling of the situation before and after the passage of Hurricane Ivan on September 7 last year. The organisation was known to be engaged in last minutes moves to acquire a number of basic foodstuff to stock away for the hurricane.