Just one in 10 Maltese has faith in the country’s ability to cope with a large-scale disaster and most would expect the international community to step in and take charge, a recent study has found.
The EU-wide report on perceptions of civil protection comes as the government is gearing up to undertake an extensive review of the country’s ability to handle a crippling catastrophe.
The National Risk Assessment, expected to begin in the coming days, is being carried out by the government’s newly set up Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit.
It is meant to establish how Malta’s institutions would fare in the case of an oil spill, earthquake, and a number of other potential disasters.
The perceptions study, published as part of the latest Eurobarometer findings, found that 91 per cent of Maltese felt the EU was better equipped to deal with a potential disaster. Some 98 per cent expected member states to deploy assets to assist Malta – the highest figure in Europe.
John Agius, who heads the CIPU, told Times of Malta some preliminary tests had already been conducted, including a recent drill at the Luqa airport simulating the arrival of an Ebola infected passenger.
Time wastage is your number one enemy
He said the unit was mapping out different scenarios to find ways to lower the recovery time for essential infrastructure and how to avoid losing them in the first place.
“We have established what we feel are critical infrastructures, such as healthcare, power and water supply, telecoms, and so on. We are going to see how best to retain these services in the case of a disaster,” Mr Agius said.
The risk assessment is expected to be concluded by the end of the year and the next drill will test Malta’s preparedness to deal with an earthquake.
Drills and tests, however, are not the only actions being done to improve the situation.
Mr Agius said the government had recently invested some €9 million to revamp the equipment stored in the national humanitarian aid section. Meanwhile, a new national evacuation area is being developed in Ħal-Far, he added.
Training exercises are also being conducted. A team of experts from the US Defence Institute for Medical Operations is currently in Malta training civil protection officers on ways to deal with potential disasters.
Colonel Rachelle Paul-Kagiri who has been carrying out drilling exercises with officers from the Armed Forces told Times of Malta she was helping officers maximise the potential use of their limited resources.
Asked what she felt the biggest challenge facing Maltese officers was, Col Paul-Kagiri pointed to their limited past exposure to catastrophes.
“This is both a good and a bad thing. It is fortunate there have not been many instances of national disasters in Malta. However, these are also the times when officers really learn what to do and how to react,” she said.
Speaking to Times of Malta after training officers on how to deal with a shipwreck, Col Paul-Kagiri said the main tool she was passing on was the ability to “speak the same language”.
“In a disaster it is important to communicate with all the authorities involved and to have clear handovers. Time wastage is your number one enemy,” she said.
Captain Sam Cerezo, who has also been training officers, said he was taken aback by the report’s findings as he had every confidence in the local institutions.
“I would trust these officers with my life. I think they are resourceful, motivated and care about what they do,” he said.