Before a Disaster the Disaster Unit usually:
- Ensure construction standards are appropriate to the level of risk from various hazards and review current methods of enforcing these standards in the Public and Private sectors.
- Ensure that Public buildings are constructed and maintained to adequate standards of safety.
- Preposition heavy equipment in secure locations to reduce time that key routes are closed or partially closed after a disaster.
- Develop a deployment plan and training programme to cope with transportation, road clearance and logistic requirements at national and parish levels, to include but not be limited to:
- A resource list of all transport services and heavy equipment available for use in a disaster throughout the Parish
- Relief drivers to assist in road clearance.
- The release of vehicles, equipment and marine craft to be used as emergency ambulances, or for other purposes, from any Government department or private agency or company during a disaster
- The clearing of main roads and for the movement of emergency personnel and relief supplies as soon as possible after a disaster
- Identification of solid waste disposal and land fill sites
- Assist in preparing, participating in and assessing joint annual exercises with all response services of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), and submit after action reports to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM)
- Develop, test and upgrade departmental disaster plans
- Inspect and repair Government buildings to ensure adequacy to withstand natural disasters
- Complete repairs for selected Govt. buildings by 15 May each year and report to the ODPEM
- Maintain drainage systems and other infrastructure designed to reduce the effects of disasters
- Be responsible for the inspection, maintenance, and retrofitting of the Country's emergency shelters. Provide expertise in engineering construction and property management to the ODPEM
- Conduct inventory of equipment and supplies held by private contractors and builders