The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) was established in February 1999 and is the sole government department and authority responsible for keeping the country in a state of preparedness for an emergency, such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, among other hazards. With its main headquarters in the Capital City of Belmopan, it operates across the country via local branches and coordinators. Recently, the organization was assigned a new minister of government. The Honourable Andre Perez, Area Representative of Belize Rural South (Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye), oversees its operations under the Ministry of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management. In this role, he coordinates NEMO’s activities with other government departments and ensures that the necessary resources are available for NEMO’s operations. He shared that during a national emergency, the headquarters building turns into a 24-hour operation unit until a particular threat has been cleared.
According to Perez, he would be required to be based in Belmopan during a natural disaster risk, such as an intense hurricane. He noted that the capital city’s main building has many departments maintaining uninterrupted communication with their counterparts nationwide, including facilities to follow and evaluate the threats and make crucial decisions. The NEMO headquarters has several meeting rooms that constantly receive new information they share with their branches nationwide. The staff usually stays in the operating rooms for days without leaving until all is clear. Earlier this year, they were very busy with the wildfires that affected the southern Toledo District and parts of the Cayo District in western Belize. Afterward, they coordinated humanitarian aid needed in the most affected areas.
The daily activities of the facilities are overseen by the National Emergency Coordinator for NEMO, Retired Captain Daniel Mendez. He stated that when there are no natural threats, the organizations always prepare for what may lie ahead. According to Mendez, NEMO operations do not only focus during the annual hurricane season, usually from June to November. The organization is now on high alert all year long as there are other hazards, such as unprecedented floods and wildfires during the dry months. “We have to be prepared for everything, and so we are continuing our efforts to improve,” Mendez said, emphasizing NEMO’s year-round preparedness to ensure the public feels secure about the organization’s proactive approach.
NEMO is monitoring the hurricane season and has seen some storms in the Caribbean. The most recent storm that prompted Belize to high alert was Hurricane Beryl. On July 5th, the Category 2 hurricane landed on the Mexican Caribbean coast. Northern areas in Belize, including the Cayes, were on tropical storm warnings; however, no significant conditions were experienced in Belize.
While the season is about two months from the conclusion, NEMO advises people to be prepared. For emergencies, NEMO’s hotline is 936, and the office in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, can be reached at 226-4824 and 611-6603 in Caye Caulker.
