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The annual National Hurricane Exercise concluded today, Friday, 7 June 2024, following a five-day training session facilitated by Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) in partnership with GSB Command Training. The exercise included senior leaders from the civil service, uniformed services, healthcare, and infrastructure entities, who were presented with realistic disaster-related emergency scenarios and trained on best practices for effective response. 

A key focus of the training was the implementation of the Gold-Silver-Bronze (GSB) command structure, developed in the UK by emergency services to provide a clear hierarchical response to major incidents. Introduced to HMCI in 2021, the GSB structure is now in its final implementation phase, transitioning from the National Hazard Management (NHM) Policy Group to the Strategic Coordination Group (SCG). The structure is divided into four tiers: the Executive, Gold for strategic management and decision-making, Silver for multi-agency coordination, and Bronze for frontline responders.

Dani Coleman, Director of HMCI, reflecting on the week’s activities expressed her appreciation for the positive engagement of all participants. "We tackled hard topics and worked through real-life scenarios, ensuring that the country is well-prepared to respond and recover in the event of a disaster or major incident," she said. "We are fortunate to have dedicated individuals at all levels of our disaster response entities."

Paul Dutton of GSB Command Training highlighted Cayman’s advanced multi-agency coordination culture, noting that the implementation of the GSB structure would ensure effective communication and accountability across agencies and leadership. Dutton, a disaster response command leader with a background in the Royal Marines and UK police service, has extensive experience in delivering training and disaster management response globally.

On Thursday, HMCI and GSB Command Training briefed the National Hazard Management (NHM) Executive and the Council, which is co-chaired by H.E. the Governor and the Premier and includes all Members of Cabinet, Leader of the Opposition, Cabinet Secretary, District Commissioner, Police Commissioner and the HMCI Director. Focus was on the newly implemented framework and the week's training outcomes.

HMCI regularly organises disaster response training exercises in alignment with government Broad Outcomes One, Three, and Four, aimed at ensuring quality of life and future resiliency. For more information and resources on disaster preparedness, visit caymanprepared.ky or follow HMCI on Facebook and Instagram at caymanprepared.