ODPEM repairs over 507 Hurricane Melissa roofs, plans round-the-clock operations unit

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management reports that more than 507 roofs damaged by Hurricane Melissa have been repaired under its shelter recovery programme, backed by $200 million in donated funds and building materials and sundries valued at $400 million. Director General Commander Alvin Gayle presented the update in a special Jamaica Information Service interview.

Gayle said a further milestone was coordinating 126 local and international agencies that delivered early relief across the island. He noted that ODPEM ran 27 operations for a little over two and a half months to keep that whole-of-government response moving during what he called a significantly large event.

On the Auditor General’s report, Gayle said the agency has welcomed the gaps identified and is working to close them, drawing strategic insight from the findings to strengthen operations under strain.

ODPEM is also planning a dedicated 24-hour operations division to monitor and respond to incidents daily, instead of activating the National Emergency Operations Centre only for major events such as hurricanes and earthquakes. The unit is intended to cover both large disasters and smaller day-to-day emergencies, including highway oil spills and isolated flooding.

Board chair Trudy Dean said the agency is reviewing its staffing model, with a probably higher need for technical than administrative staff. The board and executive management are considering bringing in a consultant to examine reorganisation so ODPEM can work more effectively with the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Jamaica Defence Force and the police.

Separately, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce Sancia Bennett Templer said the government is pushing to integrate micro, small and medium-sized enterprises into the formal economy. Speaking at the National MSME Conference hosted by the Small Business Association of Jamaica, she said MSMEs account for about 90% of local enterprises and form the backbone of the economy. More than 75 business development services help firms move from informal operations to investor-ready compliance, but businesses must formalise and become tax compliant to access new financing and the government’s 20% MSME procurement set-aside. Small businesses contribute roughly $1.3 trillion to the local economy each year, she said, a figure expected to rise with formalisation and access to public-sector contracts.

The Institute of Sports Challenge Cup has returned after a six-year suspension linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Competition resumed last week among 12 ISSA football teams and 12 ISSA netball teams. Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister Olivia Grange said the tournament is about more than trophies: developing character, teamwork, resilience, respect for opponents and the discipline to perform under pressure. Winning football and netball sides will each receive $400,000, with $250,000 and $150,000 for second and third place, and $20,000 for each remaining team. Equal prizes for both sports, she said, reflect the government’s commitment to supporting boys’ and girls’ sport equally.

Principals Heidi K. Homes of Creative Kids Learning Academy in St. Andrew and Carline Williams-Heath of Park Mountain Primary School in St. Elizabeth — both of whose schools had students among the national top 10 in the 2026 Primary Exit Profile examinations — described PEP as an effective tool for preparing pupils for secondary education, saying it demands deeper thinking from students and greater effort from teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon Bryan has been appointed Director General of the Island Traffic Authority and will assume the post on September 1. Seconded from the Jamaica Defence Force, he succeeds Colonel Daniel Price, whose resignation took effect on June 30. Energy, Transport and Telecommunications Minister Daryl Vaz said Bryan’s immediate priorities include advancing the new demerit point system, modernising the ITA, and getting the Black River examination depot back in operation within the first 30 to 45 days.