(Left to Right): David Noble, Massive Equipment, Lieutenant Theo Kelly and Lieutenant Colonel Roger Carter, Cayman Islands Regiment, Richard Hew and Michelle Wight, R3 Board Members. 

George Town, Cayman Islands — In a significant stride towards bolstering disaster readiness and response capabilities in the Cayman Islands, the R3 Cayman Foundation has donated a JCB backhoe to the Cayman Islands Regiment. The donation is part of R3 Cayman Foundation’s ongoing commitment to fortify our Islands ability to respond effectively to natural disasters and emergencies.

The Cayman Islands Regiment, the first formal military unit within the Cayman Islands, assumes a pivotal role in furnishing disaster relief and security of our Islands. The addition of this robust and versatile machine, equipped with four-wheel drive capabilities, will play a crucial role in addressing one of the most difficult challenges faced by rescue workers during emergencies—the swift clearance of roads in affected areas. With its unique combination of a front shovel, which doubles as a bulldozer, and a rear excavator, backhoes are adept at removing debris, digging emergency drains, and manoeuvring heavy objects.  

Massive Equipment facilitated the procurement process of the backhoe, which amounted to approximately US$84,000. The company also provided vital support in shipping and conducted thorough pre-delivery inspections on the vehicles. 

Commenting on the recent handover, Lieutenant Colonel Roger Carter of the Cayman Islands Regiment said, “We are extremely grateful to the R3 Cayman Foundation for their generous donation that has significantly enhanced the regiment’s disaster relief efforts. The donation brings the Cayman Islands Regiment’s backhoe fleet to two, which will now allow us to strategically deploy one backhoe to cover the eastern region of Grand Cayman and another to cover the western side in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.” 

Additionally, the vehicle will be used for Regiment training, exercise deployments and supporting Cayman community projects.

“R3 Cayman Foundation is pleased to continue to enhance our Islands’ readiness in the face of natural disasters,” said R3 Readiness Chair, Michael Meghoo. “The equipment provides additional resilience to our emergency services and will facilitate more rapid assistance to affected communities during crisis.”

This latest donation follows a series of R3 Cayman Foundation’s readiness-focused contributions, including a US$110,000 security-focused donation to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service for advanced imaging equipment and a US$60,000 donation to the East End Community Emergency Response Team for the acquisition of a mobile trailer and essential emergency equipment.

Since its inception in 2020, R3 Cayman Foundation has channeled over US$7.7 million towards local non-profit organisations and governmental agencies, with the Readiness committee contributing more than US$2 million to proactive disaster preparedness.