Chilean National Emergency Office and the Canadian Embassy sign cooperation agreement on prevention issues

Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Global Affairs, David Morrison, delivered the translated brochures to ONEMI´s National Director, Ricardo Toro.
 

In the context of the ongoing collaboration that the Embassy of Canada has established with Chile’s National Emergency Office (ONEMI), Canada’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Global Affairs, David Morrison, met with ONEMI´s National Director, Ricardo Toro, on March 16th, 2016.

On this occasion, the authorities referred to the agreement signed last February, which officially formalized the cooperation agreement between the two institutions through a document that establishes that the Canadian Embassy will provide the ONEMI translation services - in English and French - for preventive material to be handed out, concerning earthquakes, tsunami, volcanoes, forest fires, floods and landslides; and will also collaborate with the printing of this material to be used in the ONEMI’s civil protection initiatives.

Also, the Embassy will distribute these brochures to Canadian citizens that reside in or are travelling to Chile, who are particularly vulnerable when emergencies occur, especially in situations of natural disasters, due to their limitations with respect to their language skills, and the little knowledge they possess of the local environment.

The ONEMI´s National Director highlighted "the lasting relationship established with the Canadian Embassy, who has supported us - since 2014 - with the translation, in different languages, of recommendation manuals for earthquakes and tsunamis; and who now present us 25.000 copies of our "Prevent, Get Informed, Get Prepared” brochures to be distributed in training sessions, and which will also be available on our website”.

Furthermore, the ONEMI will provide training to Canadian communities in Chile according to plans established by the Embassy.

As for Canada´s Assistant Deputy Minister of Global Affairs, he highlighted the strong and broad cooperation between the ONEMI and the Canadian government: "Through our Embassy in Chile, Canada is committed to further strengthen our already excellent collaboration, especially with regards to the dissemination of information to better prepare tourists and foreigners to face natural disasters in Chile".