Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

2.   Interpretation

In this Act—

“Accredited Disaster Notification Service” means an agency certified under section 26;

“alert” means an alert issued under section 17;

“Annual Report” means the Annual Report under section 10(1);

“Community Development Officer” means a Community Development Officer appointed by the Public Service Commission;

“declaration of disaster” means a declaration of disaster under section 18;

“declaration of state of emergency” means a declaration of state of emergency made by the Governor General under section 17 of the Constitution of Saint Lucia and the Emergency Powers (Disaster) Act;

“Director” means the Director of the National Emergency Management Organisation appointed under section 4;

“disaster” means a natural or man-caused event or an event caused by both of them which causes intense negative impacts on people, goods, services, or the environment, and which exceeds a community's internal capacity to respond;

“disaster management” includes planning for and responding to disasters, by carrying out both pre-and post-disaster activities which refer to both the risk and the consequences of a disaster;

“disaster mitigation” means measures taken to reduce the loss of life, livelihood and property by disasters, either by reducing vulnerability or by modifying the hazard, where possible;

“disaster preparedness” means measures to be taken to reduce, to the minimum level possible, the loss of human lives and other damage through the organization of prompt and efficient actions of response and rehabilitation;

“emergency” means any instance for which in the determination of the Director assistance is needed —

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   (a)     to supplement efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety; or

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   (b)     to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of Saint Lucia;

“Emergency Operations Centre” means an Emergency Operations Centre established under section 12;

“evacuation” includes the removal of persons and their belongings from a specific well defined endangered area, under the threat or impact of a hazard, disaster or emergency, to another safer place, out of the scope of the threat of the impact or the impact of the hazard, disaster or emergency where they can have all their every day needs satisfied until they are relocated either back to the original place or to a place safe and out of reach of the impact or the direct effects of the hazard, disaster or emergency that triggered the initial displacement;

“fire officer” means a member of the Fire Service;

“Fire Service” means the Saint Lucia Fire Service established under the Fire Service Act;

“hazard” means the potential for a natural or man caused event to occur with negative consequences;

“hazard inspector” means a hazard inspector appointed under section 23;

“listed premises” means premises listed in the shelters list;

“local government unit” means a District under the Local Authorities Act;

“Minister” means the Minister responsible for disaster management;

“National Emergency Operations Centre” means the National Emergency Operations Centre established under section 12;

“NEMAC” means the National Emergency Management Advisory Committee established under section 8(1);

“NEMO” means the National Emergency Management Organisation established under section 3;

“notice” includes a notice —

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   (a)     published in the Gazette;

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   (b)     published in a newspaper circulating in Saint Lucia;

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   (c)     broadcast over the radio and television stations in operation in Saint Lucia;

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   (d)     issued by any other effective means of broadcast or communication;

“notice of evacuation” means a notice of evacuation issued under section 20;

“person” includes a body corporate or an unincorporated body;

“Police Force” means the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force established under the Police Act;

“police officer” means a member of the Police Force;

“Register of Volunteers” means the register maintained under section 25;

“rehabilitation” means the restoration of basic services and the repair of physical, social and economic damage;

“relief” means material, personnel and services provided to meet the needs of those affected by an emergency or a disaster;

“response” means actions carried out in a disaster or emergency situation with the objective to save lives, alleviate suffering and reduce economic losses;

“Saint Lucia” includes the territory, including areas covered by water of Saint Lucia and maritime areas under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of Saint Lucia;

“shelter” means listed premises used as a shelter under section 13;

“shelter manager” means a shelter manager appointed or designated under section 13;

“shelter officer” means a shelter officer appointed or designated under section 13;

“shelters list” means the list of premises established under section 13(1);

“Special Service Unit” means the branch of the Police Force known as the Special Service Unit;

“statutory board” means a board, committee or other group which is under any statute responsible for the direction, governing or control of any entity other than a Ministry or Department of Government and a majority of the membership of which board, committee or other group would under any Act be constituted by persons to be appointed to that board, committee or other group by a Minister or public officer and by Ministers and public officers who are ex officio members of that board, committee or other group;

“statutory body” means an entity which has been established by or under any Act and which is directed or governed by either a public officer or an officer appointed by a Minister or a public officer or a statutory board;

“volunteer” means a volunteer registered under section 25.