🇯🇲 Jamaica
Last verified: July 2026 — validate with your local authorities during the annual update of the club directory.
1. Emergency numbers
| Service |
Number |
| Police (and Air-Sea Rescue) |
119 |
| Fire brigade |
110 |
| Ambulance |
110 |
| Hurricane update line |
116 |
| Jamaica Red Cross (emergency) |
876-984-7860 |
2. National disaster management
| Element |
In Jamaica |
| National agency |
ODPEM (Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management) — odpem.gov.jm |
| Legal mandate |
Sole government agency charged with disaster management; statutory body created in 1993 (from ODIPERC, 1980) |
| Supervising authority |
Reassigned to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) following Hurricane Melissa (November 2025) |
| Territorial crisis authority |
Parish Disaster Coordinators via the parish councils / municipal corporations, coordinated by ODPEM |
| Citizen preparedness |
ODPEM public education, community disaster-response teams and shelter management training |
3. Alert systems
| System |
What it is |
Access |
| Meteorological Service of Jamaica |
National weather branch: hurricane watches/warnings, severe-weather alerts; liaises with the US National Hurricane Center |
metservice.gov.jm |
| Earthquake Unit (UWI Mona) |
National seismic monitoring: Jamaica Seismograph Network (13 broadband stations), strong-motion and GPS networks |
mona.uwi.edu/earthquake |
| ODPEM alerts |
National disaster warnings and shelter activation |
odpem.gov.jm |
| US National Hurricane Center |
Cyclone tracking (cone, Saffir-Simpson categories) |
nhc.noaa.gov |
| Hurricane update line |
Recorded weather/hurricane bulletin |
Dial 116 |
4. Key non-Rotary actors
| Actor |
Role in disaster |
| Jamaica Red Cross |
Emergency shelter, relief distribution, damage assessment, Restoring Family Links (jrcs@jamaicaredcross.org) |
| ODPEM |
National coordination of response and relief — get known there BEFORE the crisis |
| Parish Disaster Committees |
Local coordination, shelters, community response teams |
| Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) |
Search and rescue, logistics, engineering support in major disasters |
| IFRC |
International backing of the Jamaica Red Cross (Disaster Response Emergency Fund) |
5. Dominant risks → guide cards
| Risk |
Where |
Card to print |
| Hurricane |
Whole island, June-November (Atlantic season) |
Card B1 |
| Flood / flash flood |
Nationwide — the most frequent hazard |
Card B2 |
| Landslide |
Mountainous interior, Blue Mountains, steep parishes — second most frequent hazard |
Card A4 |
| Earthquake |
Whole island (Kingston sits near active faults) |
Card A1 |
| Drought |
Rain-shadow and southern plains |
Card C1 |
| Tsunami (secondary, seismic) |
Coastal zones |
Card A2 |
6. Equivalences with the guide's terms
| Generic term in the guide |
Jamaican equivalent |
| National disaster management agency |
ODPEM |
| National response plan |
National Disaster Plan (coordinated by ODPEM) |
| Emergency medical service (EMS) |
Ambulance (via 110) |
| Territorial state authority |
Parish Council / Municipal Corporation, Parish Disaster Coordinator |
| National meteorological alert |
Meteorological Service of Jamaica |
| National seismic monitoring |
Earthquake Unit, UWI Mona |
| Inter-agency coordination |
ODPEM National Emergency Operations Centre |
Donation tax rules: to be confirmed locally — Jamaican charitable and tax-deductibility rules for donations to a Rotary club or foundation should be checked with the Jamaican tax authority (TAJ) and your district before publishing any deductibility claim.
7. Rotary section — to be completed by your club
| Element |
Your information |
| Rotary district |
____ |
| District Governor (DG) |
____ |
| District disaster officer (DRO/DRC) |
____ |
| ShelterBox contact |
____ |
| National coordination body (ODPEM contact) |
____ |
| Neighbouring clubs (< 50 km) |
____ |
| Last update of this section |
//______ |
Sources: ODPEM (odpem.gov.jm, odpem.org.jm), Meteorological Service of Jamaica (metservice.gov.jm), Earthquake Unit UWI Mona (mona.uwi.edu/earthquake), Jamaica Red Cross (jamaicaredcross.org), Discover Jamaica (discoverjamaica.com), Jamaica Experiences (jamaicaexperiences.com), World Bank / GFDRR risk profile. Report any error: g.bourgogne.rtn@gmail.com