(Pictured from left to right are Mr. Baldwin Frett of the H. Lavity stout Community College
(HLSCC); Ms.
Kristi Creque of Arkansas Tech University (ATU); and Mr. David Broughton of the
University of Portsmouth.)
The Department of Disaster Management
(DDM) is doing its part to contribute to youth development through the
provision of internship opportunities.
The DDM started its internship
programme in 2002 to provide students with an opportunity to gain work
experience and make valuable contacts and this year, the department opened
spaces for three students.
The 2015 DDM interns are Ms. Kristi
Creque, a third-year student at Arkansas Tech University (ATU); Mr. Baldwin
Frett, a second year General Science student at the H. Lavity stout Community
College (HLSCC) and Mr. David Broughton who is in the final stages of pursuing
his master’s degree at the University of Portsmouth.
Ms. Creque who is currently pursuing a
Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Administration and Management with a
minor in Geology, will be at the DDM for two months and has been assigned to
support the CDM Leadership & Hazard Mitigation unit. She is
gaining hands-on experience in the use and application of the geographic
information systems (GIS) while at the same time providing support to the
development of hazard vulnerability assessments for proposed developments in
the Territory.
It is particularly heartening for the
DDM to host Ms. Creque as an intern since her introduction to disaster
management was during the summer programme hosted by the DDM in 2008, when she
was a student of the Seventh day Adventist School.
“I had no idea that a single
experience would determine my career path. The DDM left a big impression
on me as a high school student who at the time had no idea what I wanted to
pursue. The field of emergency management is fascinating and there is
scope for its application in any sector,” Ms. Creque said.
ATU is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission, with specific accreditation for its Emergency
Administration and Management Programme from the Council for the Accreditation
of Emergency Management Education. ATU’s agreement with the HLSCC allows
for the seamless transfer of credits.
Mr. Frett who will soon start his
second year at the HLSCC and plans to pursue advanced studies in engineering,
has joined the DDM for six weeks. He has been assigned to develop a community
profile for the East End/Long Look community and the surrounding islands.
Mr. Frett will also undertake research to support efforts towards the
management of critical response assets. Members of staff will offer opportunities
for Mr. Frett to be engaged in various engineering field activities.
Since 2010, the DDM has been working
with the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom to provide
opportunities for master’s level students to gain on the job experience and
allow them to gather critical data to fulfill their thesis requirements. The
2015 beneficiary of that arrangement, Mr. Broughton is pursuing a master’s in
Crisis and Disaster Management. Mr. Broughton is an active fire fighter who is
currently Head of Response and Resilience for South-west Scotland in the
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
During his three week stint in the BVI
he will undertake research in the area of enhancing the role and capability of
the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Service to respond to technological major
incidents and disasters. With 28 years of experience as a fire-fighter, he is
passionate about his profession.
“I have never wanted to be anything
but a fire-fighter. I love what I do and I feel honored to have been
given the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I am here in the BVI not
only to gather data for my thesis but to also give support to the fire service
by providing recommendations on how they can improve their operations. I
will be sharing the results of my research with the fire chief who has been
extremely cooperative and supportive,” Mr. Broughton stated.
The DDM will continue to provide
opportunities to students as part of efforts to foster youth development and
offer local and international students on the job experiences among a team of
specialists in the field of disaster management.
