Comunicados de Prensa

Cataño – A training session for 328 resident board presidents and community leaders from Public Housing Administration (PHA) developments was successfully held at the Miguel Santiago Ocasio Convention Center in Cataño. The training, offered by the Department of Housing's Office of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration and the PHA, focused on the current 2025 Hurricane Season and how to prevent damage or loss of life in the event of a hurricane, emergency, or disaster.

This training is part of these agencies' efforts to prepare communities before the peak of the current hurricane season.

The formal ceremony for the event was attended by the Secretary of State, acting Governor Rosachely Rivera Santana, representing Governor Jennifer González Colón. The event was also attended by the Secretary of Housing, Ciary Pérez Peña, and the PHA Administrator, Juan A. Rosario Hernández.

In their messages to those present, the officials reaffirmed the Government of Puerto Rico's commitment to the safety and well-being of every family in times of emergency. They also emphasized the importance of communities represented by their board presidents or community leaders, many of whom are trained in emergency or disaster response, encouraging their residents to take the necessary measures to prevent accidents or unfortunate incidents during this hurricane season and any emergency that may arise in their communities.

The occasion was used by these officials, along with the Department's Undersecretary, Omar Figueroa Vázquez, and the Director of the Department's Emergency Management Office and the PVA, Antonio Morales, to present those present with a CERT program backpack containing a protective helmet, work glasses and gloves, a reflective vest, a whistle, a flashlight, among other items.

The training began with a talk given by Mr. José L. Ayala González, Special Assistant to the Commissioner in charge of the Office of Preparedness and Training of the Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration. His topic was the family plan. He was followed by Mr. Héctor Torres Calderón, Emergency Management Advisor and CERT Program Instructor, who reviewed the program and the benefits of taking the training.

As the 2025 Hurricane Season is in full swing, the Advisory Coordinator for the United States National Weather Service in Puerto Rico and meteorologist, Mr. Ernesto Morales, participated. His talk focused on hurricane season forecasts and warnings. He explained how these phenomena are forecasted and the importance of staying informed through official information channels to avoid situations that could affect lives or property.

The training sessions, which lasted throughout the day, were led by Mr. Camilo Meléndez, AVP Emergency Management official and coordinator. He spoke about the importance of understanding how to open, manage, and administer a shelter where schools, community centers, and other facilities are set up to house citizens in the event of emergencies or disasters.

The activity concluded with an announcement by the AVP Chief of Staff, Mr. José Torres, who presented attendees with new regulations for the use of community centers in the island's 328 communities. These regulations make their use more flexible and ask the 10 agents who manage the AVP's residential facilities to abide by these new regulations, both for emergencies or disasters and for the regular use of these centers.

Many of these leaders have already been trained by the Department, the AVP, and the Office of Emergency Management to respond to an emergency or disaster under the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.