PRess releases

San Juan – Employees and officials from the Department of Housing (DV) and its affiliated agency, the Public Housing Administration (AVP), who belong to the agencies' emergency response teams, participated in several training workshops to prepare for the event of an emergency or disaster.

The DV's Undersecretary, Attorney Omar Figueroa, emphasized the importance of this team in addressing any situation. “According to our Secretary, Ciary Pérez Peña, she places great importance on this committee, as you, the municipal, zone, and interagency coordinators, are the ones who respond not only to disasters like Hurricane Maria or the 2020 earthquakes, but also to emergencies where families lose their homes or belongings in fires, floods, or local landslides. You are essential to this Department of Housing and Public Housing, and you channel aid to these families. Therefore, the Secretary has requested that we constantly train so that we can respond immediately to any type of emergency.”

The training, coordinated by the Emergency Management Office of both agencies and led by Mr. Antonio Morales, was provided by Mr. Héctor Torres, an advisor from that office. It outlined the next steps that personnel will take to conduct annual inspections of schools, community centers, and other locations that serve as shelters, primarily during hurricane season.

“It’s very important for us to know how many schools will be used as shelters, their current condition, and what they need, since school buildings are the first temporary shelters opened at the request of mayors. Contrary to popular belief, it’s the Department of Education, OMEP, or AFI that are responsible for improvements and providing what’s needed for the shelters to function properly, such as water tanks, solar panels, or generators. We provide the cots, and the Department of Education provides food and the schools. But these are the agencies in charge of the structures, not the Department of Housing, so we want to start early and ensure everything is ready in May for hurricane season, which begins on June 1,” concluded Attorney Figueroa.