Life’s experiences are of such that a single incident can provide different scenarios for those impacted. The floods of January 4, 1998 in Portland, is one example. Twelve long hours of torrential rainfall created disaster for the people of Portland, while for the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) it created an opportunity for synergy. The rainfall was localized but the impact and response, national.

Everybody knows that the military and civilians often approach activities differently and with divergent views. The difficulties faced by these groups in accepting the concept of, "we are both right", is born out of core preparation and socialization. The scenario created by the floods taught us how to value different perceptions, give credence to opinions and transcend the limits of our conditioning.

The January 4th rains were impartial. The impact was multi-racial, non-specific to socio-economic groups, non-partisan and at most, multi-sectorial in its damaging effects. No sector was left untouched. There were landslides, blocked roads and wide-spread flooding which displaced over 4,000 families. Four persons died in the wake of the disaster and several were rendered homeless. The local authority could not cope, hence the need for a national disaster response.

Disaster management is implemented utilizing the multi-agency approach. Each agency is called upon by the National Disaster Organization to fulfil its disaster management functions according to its strength and expertise. The JDF, for this event, was mandated by the Hon. Prime Minister, head of the National Disaster Committee, to lead the operations in Portland. The mandate carried out as a joint JDF/ODPEM operation was dubbed "Operation Olive Branch". Let me hasten to state that this partnership did not preclude the involvement of all the other agencies and organizations normally involved in disaster response. In fact it insisted on their participation as dictated by the National Disaster Plan. The plan speaks emphatically to the interdependence of the roles of the national authority (ODPEM), local authority (Parish Council) and the various agencies; governmental, non governmental and private sector, in carrying out the disaster management functions. Other agencies involved included those with responsibility for social security, road repairs, public utilities, security, health and rescue services. The Salvation Army, Red Cross and Adventist Disaster groups were among the voluntary organs. The groups performed a primary, secondary or support role in the operations.

An agency with primary functions, means it is the first group to be activated by the disaster management organization, in response to the activity. The Jamaica Defence Force has many functions and plays either a primary, secondary or supportive role, in the execution of the relevant activities. For example, they are the primary responders in events requiring search, rescue and evacuation, or which need air and or marine support.

We had one common goal, that of assisting the people of Portland to regain normalcy at the earliest possible time. Recognizing that the way forward was not to lose sight of the paradigm but to operate from our spheres of influence in getting the job done, we worked assiduously. The full activation of the emergency operations centre was our first mandate. The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) represents the nucleus of the operations. It is where all activities emanate and culminate. Some activities undertaken by the EOC were, the management of emergency response, welfare relief, communication, logistics support, and damage assessment. The activities were all undertaken by a multi-agency team. Lieutenant Colonel L H Graham and his team took the lead in establishing the EOC, directing logistics and radio communication. They provided aerial and ground transportation, directed relief distribution and stores management.

The partnership was result driven. After the first week of operation, the lifeline systems were 75% restored; victims were assessed and assisted. More than 3,000 food packages were distributed, and bedding issued to over 100 families. The first batch of relief cheques were also ready for distribution.

Prime Minister Patterson visited Portland during the first week of the operation. Lieutenant Colonel Graham gave a succinct presentation on the achievement of Operation Olive Branch, which left the Prime Minister impressed. The hackneyed phrase "as brave as a soldier" was re-energized as Lieutenant Colonel Graham was willing to cross rivers and trample landslides to achieve goals. This he demonstrated well, by getting wet in the process of leading the Prime Minister and his team in rafting across the Rio Grande.

The deactivation of the Emergency Operations Centre was done by the end of the third week of the operation and the follow-up activities were handed over to the local authority. Given the magnitude of the disaster, this accomplishment highlights the feats of "Operation Olive Branch". At the close of the EOC, all major roads were rehabilitated, water and electricity were restored and victims provided with cheques and basic items to assist them in the relocation/rehabilitation process.

As we forge ahead, the Office of Disaster Management and Emergency Management salutes the Jamaica Defence Force for hard work and dedication in disaster management and specifically for its involvement in the Portland response. The synergetic approach which achieved the effective and efficient response to Portland is the way forward in disaster management and nation building. Jamaica calls for a collaborative approach to resource management and commonness of purpose in our response. This was typified by "Operation Olive Branch".