The team includes cabinet ministers, military, technical, engineering personnel and partnering organisations that together make up a group called "Helping Hands".
She told reporters Thursday it's part of an effort by Trinidad and Tobago "as a responsible friend and partner" to offer humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to the country's CARICOM neighbours that have been devastated by Tomas.
Persad-Bissessar said the group will identify innovative means and ways of providing emergency assistance whenever required and stockpile anticipated supplies for such purposes.
"Helping Hands will recruit volunteers for their on-going efforts which will include fund raising activities and the donation of regional public educational campaigns on safety during times of natural disasters.
"This strategy will see a better prepared response to any crisis which may develop rather than the one which currently applies that sees donors scrambling to put together resources and various forms of assistance," the Prime Minister stated.
In addition she said the group will seek the support of external agencies involved in relief efforts to best guide personnel on some of the initiatives used elsewhere which can be of benefit regionally.
Persad-Bissessar said Trinidad and Tobago has created a model of support that will involve contributions from government, local business and NGOs.
"This initiative will be integrated with a new policy of emergency assistance that sees the Trinidad and Tobago government sourcing and providing much needed relief supplies to affected islands from local partners where available," she said.
Persad-Bissessar said the new initiative removes the burden for huge cash donations from the government "in these challenging economic times while allowing us to provide much needed assistance to our neighbouring brothers and sisters swiftly and effectively."
She added, "The government of Trinidad and Tobago is not unaware of the economic difficulties being experienced by our CARICOM neighbours. We undertake to lend whatever assistance is practical in the circumstances."
However she said, "We continue to hold fast to the belief that we must all rise together in the region." And she spoke of plans for reconstruction in the region.
"As a result of slowdowns and contractions in the economy there now exists a slump in construction activity in Trinidad and Tobago. As a result, there is a surplus of building material locally.
"The government will therefore seek to purchase some of these materials, and offer them to the affected CARICOM territories to assist in their reconstruction effort.
"The government expects that this approach will be a boost to the local construction industry whilst simultaneously assisting those persons who are in urgent need of these supplies.
"The accruing benefit to local business will place Trinidad and Tobago in a healthier economic circumstance. This would in turn allow us to provide further assistance if and when required, to our brothers and sisters in CARICOM," Persad-Bissessar said.
She added that to do otherwise would be to put additional pressure on the economy "which we can ill afford to do at this time."
The Prime Minister said she is in regular communication with her counterparts in the affected islands to discuss their immediate needs. She added that her cabinet has engaged the support of local partners to put together a joint relief effort.
"As a result of this partnering exercise, some 27,000 lbs of water as well as mattresses, food stuff, medication, snacks and children books, clothing, construction material and other urgent relief supplies have been sourced and have been prepared for immediate shipping...
"We will stop at nothing in ensuring that our brothers and sisters in the region receive the level of support required in this their time of urgent need," she said.
Persad-Bissessar also announced that the government of Trinidad and Tobago in partnership with the local NGOs and the business community is supplying, and will continue to supply assistance in immediate response to requests that have come from CARICOM states affected by the hurricane.
"The government of Trinidad and Tobago will continue to act responsibly in securing the future of its citizens whilst extending a helping hand to its friends and neighbours," she said.
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