PHILIPSBURG:---  In the early hours of Saturday morning, around midnight, police were dispatched to a reported fire on the cricket field.

Upon arrival, officers found a small hut fully engulfed in flames. The Fire Department responded swiftly to the scene and successfully extinguished the blaze.

At this time, the cause of the fire remains unknown. No injuries were reported.

KPSM Press Release.

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---  With schools now closed and the summer holiday season well underway, the Collective Prevention Service (CPS) would like to offer some safety wellness tips to ensure a safe and healthy beach or pool day.

Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water.  Apply sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher every two hours to protect your skin from damage.  

Prevent accidental drowning by not being caught off guard by being mindful of swimming safety measures.  One of the biggest risks is when people become too relaxed or get distracted.

CPS Section Youth Health Care from the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA) is calling on parents, guardians and all others who plan to visit our beaches, and those making use of swimming pools, to remain vigilant for the summer holiday season as potential hazards are entirely preventable.

Globally, the highest drowning rates occur among children aged 1-4 years, followed by children aged 5-9 years.

Always ensure children are constantly supervised by a responsible adult when around water: whether near a beach, swimming pool or bathtub, adult supervision is necessary to ensure that children can enjoy water safely. It is critical for supervising adults to remain vigilant and avoid distractions so that they can respond quickly if a child needs help.

The six interventions are: train bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation; install barriers controlling access to water; provide safe places away from water for pre-school children with capable childcare; and teach school-age children basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills.

Learning basic swimming and water safety skills greatly reduces the risk of drowning. This is particularly important for children aged six (6) years and above. Not only is swimming a skill for life, but it is also a great way to stay fit and active. 

It is important to drink water regularly even when not feeling thirsty. Drink water throughout the day to prevent dehydration.

As mentioned before, use sunscreen with a high SPF. You can also wear protective clothing such as hats and Ultraviolet (UV) protective clothing which offers additional protection from the sun’s harmful rays.

Seek shade and take breaks from direct sunlight. Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that block UV rays. Use lip balm with SPF to protect your lips from sunburn.

PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):---  With the second named storm Barry of the hurricane season already behind us, the Office of Disaster Management (ODM) is advising boat owners/mariners to review their hurricane preparatory plans, so they can be ready to take action in the event of a storm/hurricane threat to the country during the upcoming peak months of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season which is from mid-August to mid-October.

ODM is requesting mariners to make special preparations to stay with friends or in a hotel and not to remain on their vessel during the passing of a hurricane while moored in the Simpson Bay Lagoon or Oyster Pond.

ODM is also calling on the marine community and service providers who have a direct relationship with mariners to also remind their clients about seeking safe shelter/mooring in the event of a storm/hurricane strike.

The community is urged to learn more about hurricane hazards and resources you need on how to prepare your family, home, or business for a storm/hurricane strike by visiting the Government website: www.sintmaartengov.org/hurricane where you will be able to download your “Hurricane Season Readiness Guide’ and “Hurricane Tracking Chart.” The information here is also valuable for new residents.

Listen to the Government Radio station SXMGOV – 107.9FM - for official information and news before, during and after a hurricane. You can also follow weather related news and information as well as national addresses by the Prime Minister, chairperson of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) by going to @SXMGOV Facebook Page.

For official weather-related information, check out the website of the Meteorological Department of St. Maarten (MDS): www.meteosxm.com or visit their social media page Facebook.com/sxmweather/

THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE):---  Recently, the Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA) held its annual Ministerial Conference in an online format. Minister Plenipotentiary Drs represented Sint Maarten. Gracita R. Arrindell and the Director of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary, Carol Voges.

The Ministerial Conference is OCTA’s highest governing body, composed of the heads of government or designated representatives of each member territory. Its purpose is to define political direction, approve financial and policy frameworks, and appoint the chair and members of OCTA’s Executive Committee.

Eleven of the thirteen OCTA members participated in this year’s conference, during which both the 2024 financial accounts and the organisation’s 2025 budget were formally approved.

The 2025 budget has been further streamlined in order to increase OCTA’s operational efficiency for this year.

Looking ahead, the Ministerial Conference mandated the Executive Committee (ExCo) to begin drafting a joint OCT white paper. This document will serve as a shared contribution to the negotiations of the European Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2028-2034 period.

The MFF sets the EU’s long-term budget priorities and spending ceilings over a seven-year cycle. For the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), it determines the scope and scale of EU funding and cooperation mechanisms, including regional and thematic programs.

The MFF negotiations with the EU will be conducted by the member states France, the Netherlands, and Denmark on behalf of the OCTs. Among other matters, the allocation of financial contributions to each OCT will be defined during this process.