...Álvarez Conde Announces Measures to Strengthen Puerto Rico's Emergency Response Nine Years After Maria...

Senator Ada Álvarez Conde, marking the ninth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, unveiled two measures aimed at bolstering Puerto Rico's preparedness and response to future emergencies. The first measure establishes the Volunteers at Service of Puerto Rico Corps, affiliated with the Department of Public Safety's Emergency Management and Disaster Administration (NMEAD), to organize citizen volunteers for preparation, response, mitigation, and recovery support.

Álvarez Conde explained, 'Today, we remember those who perished, but nine years later, we also have the responsibility to ask ourselves what we learned. Maria taught us that we cannot wait for a disaster to occur before starting to organize ourselves. Preparation happens before: communities need to be prepared, volunteers need to be identified, and organizations that can help need to know how to coordinate before an emergency strikes.'

The Corps will create community brigades in all municipalities to assist communities and provide initial response assistance while government aid arrives. The initiative aims to establish a unified structure for organizing volunteer efforts across Puerto Rico, including a permanent call to recruit more citizens to prepare and serve. The project identifies the lack of a unified structure as a limitation to harnessing existing capabilities.

Participants will receive state and federal training, including CERT, practical exercises, and simulations, and will be certified with credentials to identify those who are properly trained. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety will conduct an annual public preparation and recruitment campaign, maintain information on courses, and establish a digital platform for registration, training, and coordination of volunteers.

Álvarez Conde added, 'After Maria, we saw neighbors rescuing neighbors, communities opening paths, and citizens delivering food and supplies. We are not starting from scratch or replacing what already exists. We want to connect these efforts, expand them, and convert this spirit of service into a structured capacity across Puerto Rico. That way, anyone who wants to help can prepare beforehand, know what to do, and integrate responsibly during an emergency.'

The second measure establishes the Multisector and Community Coordination Committee, coordinated by the Department of Public Safety, to integrate permanently non-governmental sectors with resources, infrastructure, knowledge, and direct reach in communities. The Committee will include representatives from the American Red Cross, United Way of Puerto Rico, Interdenominational Chaplains Body, the United Coalition of Volunteers, Industrial Association, MIDA, Agricultural Association, AARP Puerto Rico, organizations representing and attending to children and women in shelters, the State Police, National Weather Service, Association of Mayors, and the Federation of Mayors. The Department of Public Safety can also integrate essential governmental agencies for emergency management and community recovery efforts.

The goal is for this committee to know before an emergency who has what, where it is, and how it can mobilize, from food and supplies to services for vulnerable populations.

These measures aim to enhance Puerto Rico's emergency response system, ensuring communities are better prepared for future disasters and that all available resources are effectively utilized.