ST.GEORGE’S, GRENADA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8th 2009_ Prime Minister, Hon. Tillman Thomas says he views disaster management as a critical element of governance and will give the necessary support to strengthen the operations of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA). He said Grenada must utilize the lessons learnt and information gathered following the passage of Hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Emily in 2005. “We need to learn from the lessons of the past and plan properly so that we do not make the same mistakes again. I will give this my fullest support, to ensure we are better placed to respond in the event of a disaster,” the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister’s comments followed a commendation from the Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), Jeremy Collymore, who told Prime Minister Thomas, he was pleased to see the serious approach he has taken in the area of disaster preparedness. “I will like to take Grenada’s approach to deepening the community involvement in disaster preparedness as a model for participating states,” Mr. Collymore told the Prime Minister during a presentation to senior officials of NADMA and the Prime Minister’s Ministry on Thursday. The regional disaster management official said he was particularly pleased to learn that the Prime Minister is himself chairing the National Emergency Advisory Council (NEAC), reflecting his commitment to the process. Mr. Collymore promised continued support for NADMA and its work, noting that the region is now expanding the role of disaster management to include major hazards other than hurricanes.