An “unacceptably high level of complacency” could undermine the country’s resilience, a community emergency manager said on Thursday, as he urged people to take personal responsibility for being prepared for hurricanes.

Selwyn Brooks, the liaison officer for the Community Resilience Programme which works closely with the district emergency organisations (DEOs), said that building nationwide disaster resilience begins with individuals and local communities rather than relying solely on government action.

“I think there is still an unacceptably high level of complacency,” Brooks cautioned. “The resilience of the country does not start at the government level. It starts at the individual level, at the community level, and it builds up. If more communities are adopting and practising certain skills and knowledge, that is what builds the overall resilience of a country.”