The Building & Development Services Department of The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) spearheaded a two-day workshop for environmental stakeholders on the island. Facilitated by University of Florida professors, the indepth training was well-received by a cross-section of participants.
According to Arthur Jones, Vice President of Building & Development Services (GBPA), the exercise had been two years in the making. “Today, we have various persons from different departments, the Port Authority, government and private. Our intent is to bring this technical expertise to the island for the members who make the difference, to be able at the end of the day to help the community.”
Primary discussions centred on environmental issues pertaining to mold, mildew and termites. As Jones revealed, his department has been bombarded with queries, so assistance was sought from experts in the field to address the matters. “We’ve noticed in the recent past that methods utilized by local service providers have not been as effective as they used to be in treating and preventing termites. Additionally, ever since the 04′ and ’05 hurricanes, mold has become more pronounced.”
Addressing these concerns and leading the discussions were University of Florida intellectuals, Dr. Rudolf Scheffrahn, who holds a PhD in Entomology and is a world authority on termites; Dr. William Kern, a Florida authority in Urban Wildlife and specialist in Entomology & Zoology; and Renato Perez, B.C.E., Director, School of Structural Fumigation & Technical Training, University of Florida.
Topics included: mold identification, methodology for management and elimination, typical response to consumer and civil complaints; termite biology basics, inspection practices, best management practices, environmental concerns, development of a standardized approach for inspectors, etc.
Grand Bahama’s various sectors were well-represented with attendees from GBPA, Grand Bahama Development Company, Sanitation Services, Freeport Harbour & Airport Company, Town & Country Maintenance Service, Ministry of Works, Ministry for Grand Bahama, Bahamas Customs, Department of Environmental Health Services, Rand Memorial Hospital, Social Services and the College of The Bahamas.
“This technical expertise is very important,” stressed presenter, Renato Perez. “Our whole focus is to be able to help the people of the island. Through the information disseminated, attendees can in turn go back into the neighbourhoods, businesses and structures, whether old or new, and try to determine what types of problems they have, how serious are they and whether they can be fixed or not.”
Course coordinator, participant and GBPA Environmental Officer, Rico Cargill was appreciative for the instruction received. “Today’s forum was beyond vital because you cannot attempt to answer the wider community’s concerns if you’re not educated on what you’re talking about. Firsthand knowledge from the experts that deal with this on a daily basis and who are at the intellectual level as university professors is really paramount for us,” he stated.
