Caritas Freetown, with funding support from Trócaire, conducted a two-day Community Disaster Preparedness, Risk Mapping and Emergency Response Training and Simulation Exercise on 17th and 18th of August 2026. The activity was implemented under the project, “Strengthening Community Disaster Preparedness, Flood Mitigation, Climate Resilience, and Emergency Response Systems in Vulnerable Communities of Western Area Urban, Sierra Leone.”
The training brought together a total of 45 participants (30 CDMC members from Bottom Oku, Moa Wharf and Moyiba communities) and 15 Caritas Freetown project staff and volunteers to strengthen community-level capacity to understand disaster risks, identify hazards and vulnerabilities, improve preparedness and early warning, strengthen basic emergency response skills, and promote coordinated and inclusive action before and during disasters.
The first day, held on 17th August 2026 at Edward Compound, Kingtom, focused mainly on building participants’ knowledge and understanding of disaster preparedness, community risk mapping and first aid. The training adopted a participatory approach that encouraged participants to draw on their own experiences and knowledge of the communities in which they live.
The first session, facilitated by the Chairman of the CDMC National Secretariat, Daniel Bob Jones, focused on the social memory of disaster events, mapping of disaster responders and communication preferences. Participants reflected on previous disasters and hazards that had affected their communities over the years. Flooding, mudslides and fire incidents emerged as some of the major hazards experienced between 2016 and 2026. The exercise demonstrated that communities already possess significant knowledge about the risks they face and that these experiences can provide an important foundation for preparedness planning.
The second session, facilitated by Madam Philomena from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), focused on understanding disasters and risks and conducting community risk mapping. Participants were introduced to key concepts such as hazards, risks, vulnerability, capacity, mitigation, preparedness and resilience. The discussion helped participants understand how hazards interact with existing vulnerabilities and capacities to determine the potential impact of a disaster. Participants were encouraged to identify hazard-prone areas, vulnerable people and locations, available community resources, early warning signs and systems, existing community capacities, safe areas, important facilities and locations requiring mitigation or preparedness interventions.
The final session of the first day was facilitated by Paul Kargbo from the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society and focused on the definition, principles and practice of first aid for disaster management. Participants learned about the importance of providing immediate assistance to injured or critically affected persons while awaiting professional medical support. The session considered emergency situations such as fires, drowning, accidents and other incidents that may occur within communities. The interactive nature of the session allowed participants to ask questions and share their experiences, while the practical demonstration helped strengthen their understanding of the role of first aid in community-level emergency response.
The second day of the training, held on 18 August 2026 at Kolleh Town, built on the knowledge gained during the first day and placed greater emphasis on practical disaster response, emergency safety, first aid, rescue preparedness and community risk identification. The day opened with remarks from CDMC Chairman Daniel Bob Jones, who reinforced the message that preparedness must begin before an emergency occurs. He encouraged CDMC members to continuously identify risks, educate community members, keep roads and pathways clear, identify alternative access routes and work with residents to reduce vulnerabilities, particularly those associated with flooding.
Participants also discussed rescue preparedness and the need for community volunteers to have access to basic tools and protective equipment such as ropes, gloves, headlamps, cutters and hammers. At the same time, emphasis was placed on volunteer safety and the importance of ensuring that community responders understand how to use equipment safely and recognise situations where professional emergency responders are required.
First aid remained an important component of the second day’s activities. A representative from the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society facilitated a practical session that allowed participants to further explore how immediate assistance can be provided during emergencies while awaiting professional medical support.
Risk mapping also continued during the second day, with participants identifying hazards such as flooding, fires, blocked drainage systems, unsafe buildings and poor roads. They also identified important community resources and facilities, including hospitals, health centres, schools, markets, roads, open spaces, water sources and communication facilities.
The two-day activity concluded with a strong emphasis on transforming knowledge into practical community action. Participants were reminded that disaster preparedness is a shared responsibility involving government institutions, humanitarian organisations, local authorities, community leaders, CDMCs, volunteers and residents.
The simulation exercises provided CDMC members with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills gained during the training. Participants will further put this knowledge into practice during the community risk-mapping activities planned for the following days, where they will work with community members to identify hazards, vulnerable areas, available resources and important facilities within their respective communities.
Caritas Freetown and Trócaire recognise that strengthening CDMCs and equipping community volunteers and other local actors with practical knowledge and skills will enhance their capacity to prevent and mitigate disaster risks and serve as effective first responders when disasters occur.
