Sierra Leone is prone to climate-related disasters like fires, water shortages, floods and mudslides. It has also seen serious disease outbreaks like Ebola and COVID-19.

The Chairman of the Sierra Leone Life Saving Society Patrick Olumide Campbell has disclosed that Sierra Leone lies 47th in the 2021 World Risk Index with very high vulnerability rate of 68.87% and with high susceptibility rate of 55.15%.

Awoko reports that the Chairman revealed this information yesterday during Life Saving Society engagement with the National Fire Services, the National Disaster Management Agency, and the Sierra Leone Police amongst other institutions on elementary emergency management.

The engagement which attracted key personnel from disasters line ministries, departments and agencies was hosted at the Freetown City Council New Conference Building at Wallace Johnson Street in Freetown under the theme “Commitment in Keeping Our Nation Safe.”

In his welcome statement, the Chairman of Life Saving Society Patrick Olumide Campbell said “that disasters are growing in frequency in the 21st century; in such a situation the need to respond and take appropriate action in advance is paramount”

He disclosed that the public lecture and training will enable more collaboration between tripartite that is the emergency managers, citizens and the first responders on how to become proactive in information flow that would curb any incident that might lead to emergency situation or become dynamic to rapidly respond to recovery from disaster.

According to Awoko, He said that the elementary training is in place to commence development of measures that would take us through factors that are affecting the tripartite of emergency management, because emergency situations are on the rise and becoming frequent noting that there is need to educate people about such a risk.

WHO reports show that thousands of Sierra Leoneans are dying as a result of sudden heart failure in which more trained professionals are needed to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) when it is needed.

Mr. Campbell underscored that Sierra Leone is ranked 47th in the world risk index 2021 with high vulnerability of 68.87, high susceptible of 55.15, among other factor through such a report.

In that regards he said they are working to alert the concerned personnel in the country to gain a better understanding of the factor that affects the lack of preparedness by emergency managers, first responders and citizens.

The participants across key institutions were groomed on the concept’s elementary emergency management and first responders by Alfred Sivali, from the British High Commission.

After the training, one of the participants, from the Sierra Leone Police, Isata Brown Nyuma thanked the organizers for the public lecture and training as a whole.

She promised to disseminate what she has learnt from the public lecture and training to her community members in order to prevent disaster not only in her community but the country as a whole.