Hurricane Pass Application Process Opens June 2nd and Closes June 30th

The application process for the annual Hurricane Passes for the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season commences on Tuesday, June 2nd. There are two types of passes, the Disaster Pass and the Hurricane Pass. No passes will be issued to business owners in general, only with some exemption categories as noted below. The pass allows the bearer to access the public road to visit the place of business to assess possible damage to their property and to continue their operations which are vital for society as soon as possible, only during certain hours that will be stipulated and announced by the Prime Minister under a curfew situation. Company passes will be accepted during curfew hours from the following institutions: Sint Maarten Medical Center and the White & Yellow Cross Foundation. Potential applicants have until June 30 to present all relevant information related to the process of requesting a pass. Disaster Passes are issued to the following crucial disaster relief organizations and are valid for three years. The disaster relief organizations consist of the following: Emergency Operations Center staff, Emergency Support Functions (ESFs) staff, Crucial governmental organizations and entities involved in disaster management such as medical institutions, general practitioners and pharmacies, Red Cross, WIEMS, National Security Service VDSM, Sea Rescue, Shelter Management, Ministers and their drivers. The following categories qualify for a Hurricane Pass which is valid for two-years: Essential Government personnel without a disaster pass; Essential personnel of crucial companies or organizations: NV GEBE, Seven Seas Water, Telecom and Internet providers, Princess Juliana International Airport, Port St. Maarten, Hotels and Guesthouses, Marinas, Fuel distributors and gas stations, Commercial banks, Hardware stores, Security companies (supervisors only), Medium and large-sized supermarkets, Restaurants (those providing food services to emergency services), Importers and Wholesale Companies for perishable goods (Only requests can be submitted for refrigeration and or generator technicians). The crucial organizations as listed above (disaster & hurricane passes) can request personal passes for their key personnel. The Office of Disaster Management that falls under the Ministry of General Affairs, is handling the application process for the passes on behalf of the Prime Minister. The Hurricane Pass is valid for the 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons and will remain the property of the Government of Sint Maarten. The pass system is a mechanism to maintain public order during emergency situations. The Prime Minister assesses the damage in conjunction with Emergency Disaster Management entities of the Government after a disaster has occurred and can impose a curfew if the extent of the damage poses a threat to the safety and security of the community. An application form can be requested by sending an email to: hurricanepassrequest@sintmaartengov.org Emails should include the following: Name of organization; Request for disaster or hurricane pass. When submitting the application, the following documents need to be attached: - copy business license fee paid (or receipt) for 2020 (for businesses); - proof of 2020 registration at the Chamber of Commerce (for organizations); - copy valid Sint Maarten ID-card of the applicant; - Nafl. 50,- in leges stamps per application (to be obtained at the Receiver's Office or the Simpson Bay Public Service Center), this is a non-refundable handling fee; - One (1) passport picture for new applicants, to be sent in JPEG-format to hurricanepassrequest@sintmaartengov.org with the name of the person clearly indicated. The application form has to be completed and submitted with the required attachments in printed form at one of the following offices: Fire Department, to the attention of the secretary located at Jackal Road 5, Cay Hill, (office hours Monday - Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM); and the Public Service Center, located at Airport road 6, Simpson Bay (need to check with them for opening times). Applicants will be informed by email or telephone when to pick up the pass at the aforementioned address. Source: sintmaartengov.org