IOM Covid removing restrictions

[Gladys]

28 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

We have the man all ready, suited and booted waiting for the call ! Never fear Juans here 

Yes, but is he a logistician?

Its a serious observation.  Years ago I worked with a company involved in aid projects.  They set up an emergency response team ready to deploy at short notice for disaster relief and crisis management anywhere (the insurers called them International Rescue).  It was staffed by ex-military and their skills in rolling out a response at very short notice to all kinds of emergencies predicated on a basic response plan template were impressive. 

This is back in the 1990s when there were lots of hotspots both in terms of conflicts and natural disasters.  Their part wasn't to roll up sleeves but to evaluate a situation and pull together and co-ordinate the resources to respond. 

I am not suggesting we have that kind of resource on standby,  but the plans and methodology might help in setting up a ERP and team in future and indicate the first actions and vulnerabilities, one of which has to be the SP.  Not just for another pandemic, but say a jet falling out of the sky, loss of the power station, cyber attack, natural disaster and so on. 

The report focused on the response to covid only, but that response demonstrated that we are pretty unprepared for any national emergency. 

[Numbnuts]

6 minutes ago, Gladys said:

Yes, but is he a logistician?

Its a serious observation.  Years ago I worked with a company involved in aid projects.  They set up an emergency response team ready to deploy at short notice for disaster relief and crisis management anywhere (the insurers called them International Rescue).  It was staffed by ex-military and their skills in rolling out a response at very short notice to all kinds of emergencies predicated on a basic response plan template were impressive. 

This is back in the 1990s when there were lots of hotspots both in terms of conflicts and natural disasters.  Their part wasn't to roll up sleeves but to evaluate a situation and pull together and co-ordinate the resources to respond. 

I am not suggesting we have that kind of resource on standby,  but the plans and methodology might help in setting up a ERP and team in future and indicate the first actions and vulnerabilities, one of which has to be the SP.  Not just for another pandemic, but say a jet falling out of the sky, loss of the power station, cyber attack, natural disaster and so on. 

The report focused on the response to covid only, but that response demonstrated that we are pretty unprepared for any national emergency. 

I agree totally with your comments and no he's not a logistician in any shape of form . I was being sarcastic and yes I too agree with the qualties the likes of military trained bring to the party. Its shown itself in the UK when they have fallen short of responses to issues the military stepped up and just dealt with the problems. No fuss just totally professional.      

[P.K.]

1 hour ago, Numbnuts said:

We have the man all ready, suited and booted waiting for the call ! Never fear Juan's here 

Was that picture taken on one of the many CPA jollies?

There's a few to choose from:

Study Visits: Westminster 2007, Westminster 2007, Edinburgh 2007.

Regional Conferences: Gibraltar 2008, Guernsey 2009, Falkland Islands 2013, Cyprus 2015.

Plenary Conference: Nairobi 2010, Cameroon 2014, Bangladesh 2017, Uganda 2019

Guest Speaker: 43rd CPA Regional Conference of the CAA Region 2018;

Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers: Seyshelles 2018; Canada 2020.

Standing Orders Workshop, The Gambia 2019.

[Numbnuts]

8 minutes ago, P.K. said:

Was that picture taken on one of the many CPA jollies?

There's a few to choose from:

Study Visits: Westminster 2007, Westminster 2007, Edinburgh 2007.

Regional Conferences: Gibraltar 2008, Guernsey 2009, Falkland Islands 2013, Cyprus 2015.

Plenary Conference: Nairobi 2010, Cameroon 2014, Bangladesh 2017, Uganda 2019

Guest Speaker: 43rd CPA Regional Conference of the CAA Region 2018;

Conference of Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers: Seyshelles 2018; Canada 2020.

Standing Orders Workshop, The Gambia 2019.

Quite sad really ! Not sure looks like Afghanistan to me . Didn't he have a trip there years ago ?  

Edit yes 2010 

During his time away he met with senior staff at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province where around 4,200 British service personnel were based.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Numbnuts

[P.K.]

5 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

I agree totally with your comments and no he's not a logistician in any shape of form . I was being sarcastic and yes I too agree with the qualties the likes of military trained bring to the party. Its shown itself in the UK when they have fallen short of responses to issues the military stepped up and just dealt with the problems. No fuss just totally professional.      

Quite.

At the start of the pandemic due to a lack of any kind of planning there were a lot of logistical problems getting PPE to the point of need. Basically it just wasn't getting there in a timely manner.

Eventually Matt Hancock was claiming he had "solved" the problem whereas the truth was he handed the whole shebang off to the Logistics Corps. With 13 Regular Regiments they solved the problem for him.

Which is why the Loggies are doing all the heavy lifting for the vaccination program.

[Gladys]

13 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

I agree totally with your comments and no he's not a logistician in any shape of form . I was being sarcastic and yes I too agree with the qualties the likes of military trained bring to the party. Its shown itself in the UK when they have fallen short of responses to issues the military stepped up and just dealt with the problems. No fuss just totally professional.      

I understand that, really. I am not thinking of the army getting involved in the response, but more the military skills will help in formulating a plan to be pulled off the shelf in the event of an emergency.

Not my area, but I am guessing it would say which skills would be called to form the initial response, like I say health and legal have to be there and they would then co-opt others with appropriate expertise/responsibility specific to the disaster.  It would also have protocols on the necessary legislation, how external resource was to be engaged with a template of terms (think RG), appoint liaison officers for specific areas like the SP who report back to the ERT. 

At the start if this everyone said that this was new territory and there was no manual.  Well, we have gone through the experience, let's get the manual.

It surprising isn't it that a lot of regulated industries (shipping, financial services)  have to have ERTs but gov itself didn't? 

[Numbnuts]

3 minutes ago, P.K. said:

Quite.

At the start of the pandemic due to a lack of any kind of planning there were a lot of logistical problems getting PPE to the point of need. Basically it just wasn't getting there in a timely manner.

Eventually Matt Hancock was claiming he had "solved" the problem whereas the truth was he handed the whole shebang off to the Logistics Corps. With 13 Regular Regiments they solved the problem for him.

Which is why the Loggies are doing all the heavy lifting for the vaccination program.

Yep and the Royal Marine bandsmen and women have quietly been stationed at hospitals and vaccine centers helping with vaccines and medical services. Most are medically trained . Often goes below the radar as they just get on with it . 

[P.K.]

13 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

Quite sad really ! Not sure looks like Afghanistan to me . Didn't he have a trip there years ago ?  

Edit yes 2010 

During his time away he met with senior staff at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province where around 4,200 British service personnel were based.

Have to say that made me laugh - a lot.

Wish I could have seen the looks on their faces when Spewin' Juan pitched up. Like they've nothing better to do to fill their days than pander to his "mission" or whatever it was...

[Numbnuts]

7 minutes ago, Gladys said:

I understand that, really. I am not thinking of the army getting involved in the response, but more the military skills will help in formulating a plan to be pulled off the shelf in the event of an emergency.

Not my area, but I am guessing it would say which skills would be called to form the initial response, like I say health and legal have to be there and they would then co-opt others with appropriate expertise/responsibility specific to the disaster.  It would also have protocols on the necessary legislation, how external resource was to be engaged with a template of terms (think RG), appoint liaison officers for specific areas like the SP who report back to the ERT. 

At the start if this everyone said that this was new territory and there was no manual.  Well, we have gone through the experience, let's get the manual.

It surprising isn't it that a lot of regulated industries (shipping, financial services)  have to have ERTs but gov itself didn't? 

Yes and just look at Quayles response the other say to the Laxey flooding and the emergency response effort ! Says it all to back up what your suggesting 

[Andy Onchan]

8 hours ago, Gladys said:

The big takeaway from the report for me is that there needs to be a proper emergency response plan in place for government, not just for covid but for any emergency.  One that triggers a series of cross departmental actions with an oversight team.  Of course, the make up will be dictated by the nature of the emergency, but there would be some core expertise, health, logistics, legal, say,  supplemented by those with expertise or relevance in the type of emergency. 

It is easy now to look back and say that was what was needed, but I think the issues have arisen from trying to shoehorn in emergency response into existing structures, rather than say this is the team that needs to mobilise now and it needs to sit outside of the routine government structure.  

To be fair to everyone involved, there will be very few, if any, with the kind of mindset or background to switch on to a military style response.  And emergencies need the military kind of approach, they are trained in logistics, emergency management, and risk and security assessment.  I am not talking about calling in the army, but getting some military logistical input to a plan to roll out in cases of national emergency. 

Check out the Chief Secretary's LinkedIn page. Where do you think Gold Command etc came from.

There are a small number of senior  (recently retired) ex military on the Island. Not sure why in cases of national emergency these people are not called on to be honest. IOMG must know who they are.

[P.K.]

4 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

Yes and just look at Quayles response the other say to the Laxey flooding and the emergency response effort ! Says it all to back up what your suggesting 

What about this lot:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_Civil_Defence_Corps

[Andy Onchan]

1 hour ago, Numbnuts said:

We have the man all ready, suited and booted waiting for the call ! Never fear Juan's here 

Another Thurber Man!

[Gladys]

13 minutes ago, P.K. said:

What about this lot:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_Civil_Defence_Corps

Completely missing the point.  It is not the army that is required but some of the skills involved in military planning.  I am not talking about people who can deploy sandbags, but people who can assess and devise an emergency response plan. That is a specialised skill, but it is often a skill derived from military planning. 

[Gladys]

17 minutes ago, Andy Onchan said:

Check out the Chief Secretary's LinkedIn page. Where do you think Gold Command etc came from.

There are a small number of senior  (recently retired) ex military on the Island. Not sure why in cases of national emergency these people are not called on to be honest. IOMG must know who they are.

Yes, he was a military accountant, iirc.  Those are not the skills I am thinking about. 

[Albert Tatlock]

1 hour ago, Numbnuts said:

We have the man all ready, suited and booted waiting for the call ! Never fear Juan's here 

For those interested, the Manx version of 'Action Man' is only on sale at select toy shops on the island...