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May 25, 2007
- HR MS Zuiderkruis joins support -
SIMPSON BAY - The Dutch Marines, Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Coast Guard and local officials are working out the logistics of their emergency plan this week in case a hurricane should affect St. Maarten, Saba or St. Eustatius.
Dutch naval supply vessel HR MS Zuiderkruis (South Cross), which has been attached to the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Coast Guard, will provide humanitarian support to the islands this year in case of a disaster.
The reassigned supply vessel, positioned in Simpson Bay until Saturday evening, is capable of rushing an enormous amount of fuel, water, food, medical supplies and personnel to the islands. The ship, which carries a crew of 156, is also equipped with a cargo helicopter, water desalination capabilities and emergency medical facilities.
The ship's Commanding Officer Oscar van Lent said the ship's main task while attached to the Coast Guard was counter-drug operations and humanitarian efforts. He said the ship brought with it an array of abilities that could be considered major support in the case of a disaster.
Dignitaries, including St. Eustatius Lt. Governor Hyden Gittens, Dutch Representative in the Windward Islands Gert Jan Stortelers, Commander of the Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean and Coast Guard Frank Sijtsma, St. Maarten Fire Chief Winston Salomon and members of the press were taken on a tour and given a demonstration of some the vessel's and its helicopter's capabilities on Thursday. A general outline of the preparedness plan was included.
Marine Major Dennis Volmer, overseeing the military/emergency operation based on the three islands, said 72 Marines were in St. Maarten. "The personnel need to know the islands by heart," he said. The marines are tasked with learning the lay of the land, where all the shelters are located and main landmarks, to effectively support the island should a disaster occur. In a real-time disaster, 95 Marines will be divided between the SSS islands.
He said discussions would start 60 hours before a possible hurricane might hit and marines would be deployed a minimum of 36 hours before the hurricane was expected make landfall.
The marines first station themselves at their respective hurricane shelters and people are allowed into the shelters 20 hours before the hurricane is expected. Some food and aid is given if the need arises. He said that from previous experience, people would be eager to check on their houses and possessions after the hurricane passed.
The marines will evaluate the situation and along with local officials will decide what is needed in terms of aid and support. At this point the Zuiderkruis will be called in for support depending on the needs assessment.
Asked about the rules of engagement during a disaster recovery period, Volmer said that during training exercises Marines were trained to deal with prescribed rules of engagement for various situations.
He said should a situation of aggression occur the Marines will be ready with long rifles. Engagement starts with the marines moving their rifles from their backs to the front position in a warning posture. The guns are then loaded. He said this routine gave warning before any action was taken. He added that it rarely came to an all-out firing of the weapons, as the Marines were also trained to pick out the aggressors in a crowd and this in most cases calmed the gathering.
Lt. Governor Gittens is confident that the islands are prepared for any pending disasters. He said the demonstration on the ship had been very impressive and showed that capable personnel were available to help the islands.
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