Karlene O'Connor, Gleaner Writer
Audrey Mullings tends to a hibiscus plant in her garden. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer
If I have to, I can do anything, I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman - Helen Reddy
On the morning of July 18, 2007, friends, loved ones and well-wishers saw a side of Audrey Mullings they never knew existed. Silence filled the room when, overwhelmed with emotions, the little lady who has literally faced a number of storms in several islands, almost lost the battle to control the tears of gratitude which threatened to prevent her from saying thanks to all those who turned out to show their unwavering love for her.
After a while, she regainedcontrol, and was able to say what she had been struggling to.
"Don't scatter roses after I'm gone," she began, then continued by expressing her sincerest gratitude at their display of affection and respect for her work.
The occasion was a ceremony honouring Ms. Mullings for more than 20 years of service in the area of disaster management within the Caribbean region. This was done by the Caribbean Disaster Response Agency (CDERA) through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).
"It is not every day we meet someone who has spent the better part of their life giving service to disaster management," said Devon Rowe, permanent secretary in the former Ministry of Local Government and Environment, at the ceremony.
Tears
The silence, was, however, shortlived as the room soon came alive as laughter filled the air and cameras were drawn by everyone present who had one, agreed that a picture of the disaster management specialist shedding tears was just too good a deal to pass up, as they would be good ammunition for future 'ribbing'.
"I was particularly moved that morning, especially when I listened to all those people in the room talk about me like that (flatteringly), particularly Ronald (Jackson), whom I hardly worked with, itreally touched my heart," she explained when The Gleaner news team caught up with her one week later for an interview.
Mr. Jackson, the recently appointed director-general of the ODPEM, spoke of Ms. Mullings as a mentor, and one who could be relied on for honesty, when it matters most.
Ms. Mullings proved that a woman's place is anywhere that she chooses to excel.
A cool picture
Dressed in a lime-green linen top and black pedal-pusher and sporting a twist hairdo, she was the picture of cool amid the hot mid-day sun. We discussed her present project, her garden, which she insisted was a work in progress, but one which had suffered much due to her frequent absence from home.
The disaster specialist was the first to admit that a life in disaster management was nowhere on her mind when she first considered a career path as a young woman. She graduated from Church Teachers' College and had every intention of entering the classroom, but fate intervened. Her first real adventure (as she describes it) came with the June floods in 1979, three years after becoming a volunteer with the Jamaica Red Cross. She was appointed their representative in the western region of the island, which was heavily impacted by the disaster. So impressive was her work in the recovery process that she was presented with a Meritorious Award by the Government of Jamaica.
Years later, in 1984, Ms. Mullings became the first Jamaican and Caribbean national to be the regional representative for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. She has been actively involved in different aspects of disaster management throughout the Caribbean since then. For nine years, she travelled widely throughout the Caribbean and neighbouring countries providing leadership and management for the Red Cross component of the Pan-Caribbean Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Project.
During this time she laid the foundation for the flagship programme of the Red Cross in the Caribbean - the community disaster management programme.
A decade after becoming the regional representative for the International Federation of Red Cross, she became deputy coordinator of CDERA, which is the regional organisation established by the CARICOM heads of government to lead and coordinate disaster management programmes within the Caribbean. She spent 11 years with this organisation during which time her mission to spread the importance of disaster management was fulfilled.
In response to the question of the level of disaster preparedness in Jamaica, she said: "The level of preparedness is based on the preparedness of your population. You cannot be prepared until you have the kind of mindset in your population to recognise it only takes one event, one hurricane and you can get a setback. You never ever know if it is going to come and, therefore, you will have to be prepared." She continued: "Although we've come a long way in terms of preparedness, I don't think we are at a level of preparedness where we have that full consciousness of a hurricane, so the Government could do so much and no more until the population understands what preparedness is." Ms. Mullings added that it was also important that people understood that some of their actions contribute to some natural disasters. She explained that many people do not understand the significance of preparedness until they are actually affected by a disaster.
She named Hurricane Hugo as one of the most challenging disasters she and her team had to deal with. She said this was so because, for the first time, they had to deal with a disaster in multi-states.
Roots in Kingston
Disaster specialist Audrey Mullings inspects a soursop in her garden.
The disaster specialist who boasted that her roots are in Kingston, commandeered a team that was able to respond quickly, bringing a sense of normality to the lives of those who were devastated.
The most fascinating thing about her job, Ms. Mullings stated, is that it gives her a chance to see the rest of the world while she works. "Working with the federation and being afforded the opportunity to go to Switzerland was a dream come true," she said. Despite all her travels, there is one place that Ms. Mullings has always dreamt of going, but has never been afforded the opportunity to, that place is Japan.
She jokingly added that she tried to go to Japan as a part of a teaching programme, but was turned down because of her age. She does not rule out eventually getting there though.
Now, a consultant with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United States Government Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) as a risk management specialist, Ms. Mullings still finds time to pursue another dream that she has nurtured for years. She now takes piano lessons. "Before I die I must be able to play something well, so I am doing that," she said.
Meanwhile, Ms. Mullings, despite her job title, insisted, "I am still teaching, because like for instance, with the USAID we have a lot of training to do so I still get an opportunity to use those early skills that I developed."
