Motor Vessel DAWN in the George Town Harbour on Thursday, 25 April 2024. 

Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) will host representatives of Global Support and Development (GSD) next week for a joint disaster response and preparedness exercise. In addition, Motor Vessel DAWN, operated by GSD and registered in the Cayman Islands, dropped anchor in George Town Harbour yesterday afternoon as part of DAWN’s first visit to the islands.

Global Support and Development is a United States based humanitarian organisation that works with local, national, and regional communities for resilience to crisis through rapid response, disaster preparedness, and climate adaptation. The training exercises are aimed at preparing both HMCI and GSD to support disaster response and preparedness efforts in the Cayman Islands and across the broader Caribbean region.

During the course of the week, HMCI and GSD will participate in a variety of collaborative engagements. These will include practical training activities such as helicopter flying operations and logistics cargo transfers and disaster response-related discussions that will see participants exchange best practices and experiences.

These exercises will take place on MV DAWN, a state-of-the-art humanitarian vessel GSD operates. MV Dawn is equipped for disaster preparedness and response, as well as initiatives focused on climate adaptation. Based in the Caribbean region year-round, the ship has a range of mission-related capabilities with other areas being developed to meet the needs of communities across the Caribbean. 

“Effective regional cooperation in the aftermath of an impact is important and this vessel may be able to assist us, both in terms of an impact to the Cayman Islands, and also as an advanced logistical platform to support our own efforts to deliver support and aid to other Islands that are in need following a hurricane,” stated Dani Coleman, Director of HMCI. 

“We truly believe the best responses are locally led, and we look forward to engaging with the Cayman Islands in this work. GSD is honoured to be able to work with communities across the Caribbean region to address immediate humanitarian needs while also supporting future disaster preparedness and climate adaptation initiatives,” said Mike Court, GSD’s Chief Executive Officer. 

A number of stakeholders including the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, Cayman Islands Coast Guard, Cayman Islands Regiment and Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands are involved in the coordination of the visit.