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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. Monday commended the work of the territory’s emergency management responders saying that a series of incidents this past week has tested the response capabilities of the Virgin Islands emergency management system. “In a one week period, we have had two major fires on St. Thomas, two chemical releases by the HOVENSA refinery on St. Croix and a significant fuel spill on the island of St. John. In each instance, the cadre of responders have performed well.” In addition, de Jongh said, the emergency management system of the territory has provided standby services at the tri-island inaugural celebration, during the visit to the territory of U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden and his family as well as at the just-concluded Crucian Christmas Festival.
“Beginning a week ago Sunday on St. Thomas and continuing through this Saturday, I was pleased to see how our response agencies came together during the two fires, one in Subbase and the other on Synagogue Hill on St. Thomas to provide the services necessary to protect life and safeguard property. On St. Croix, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and VITEMA responded with dispatch to news of chemical releases at the HOVENSA refinery and on St. John, while many were celebrating at the Crucian Festival, emergency responders were out in full force responding to the spill of more than a 1,000 gallons of fuel at the Enighed Pond cargo facility on St. John as a result of a compromised fuel tanker,”
de Jongh said.
The governor added that the extensive training these employees have received coupled with the significant purchase of emergency equipment has clearly paid off. “Our emergency response capabilities are at the ready and through the coordinated effort of the retooled VITEMA agency, I am confident that this government together with its volunteer agencies can respond to a wide array of emergency scenarios. I thank each and every member of the government’s emergency response team, the volunteers and all for their dedicated efforts and their willingness to go beyond the call of duty to safeguard the life and property of our residents, most times during trying circumstances.”
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