Transcript CEMC Consultation on Ontario’s Emergency Management (EM

LOW
You Are Not Alone
Tom Kontra
A/ADM and Chief
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
You Are Not Alone
• Amethyst Sector is home to 34 municipalities, more than 65 First
Nations and several hamlets in Unorganized Areas.
• Most communities have less than 2000 people.
• It is imperative that municipalities work with their neighbours,
partners, co-operators and government agencies to prepare for and
respond to emergencies.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 2
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Emergency Management
Program Development
• Prior to 2002, all communities except one in the Amethyst Sector
had Emergency Response Plans.
• However, most plans had not been reviewed or exercised in the
recent past—a common problem across Ontario.
• An outdated and unfamiliar plan is a false insurance policy.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 3
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Emergency Management
Program Development
• In 2002, EMO initiated the development of emergency
management programs in municipalities.
• Initially, smaller sector communities were uncertain about the
resources needed to develop a program.
• Today, every municipality in Ontario has a program in place and
98% are compliant with provincial legislation.
• In 2010 the Amethyst Sector was 100% compliant with provincial
legislation.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 4
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Emergency
Management Coordinators
• The CEMC is the key link between EMO and the community.
• Most CEMCs are municipal administrators or Fire Chiefs.
• Familiarity with one another allowed Amethyst Sector Advisory
Committee of CEMCs to be productive from the outset
• CEMCs with extensive emergency management experience have
been willing to share their knowledge.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 5
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Sector Meetings
• Key forum where CEMCs can network with peers, ministries, NGOs
and the private sector.
• CEMCs have presented on lessons learned from their emergencies:
• Nipigon mill fire
• Ignace wind storm
• Fort Frances natural gas explosion
• Manitouwadge power outage
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 6
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Partners and Cooperators at
Sector Meetings
• Presentations at last two meetings:
• Salvation Army
• Bell Canada
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit
• Thunder Bay Fire/Rescue
• Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN)
• Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs
• Ministry of Natural Resources
• Ministry of Labour
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Canadian Red Cross
• Hydro One
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 7
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Geographic Challenges
• Travel time and costs can impact attendance at meetings and
training sessions.
• Solution: hold sub-sector meetings and training workshops in
successive days in Thunder Bay, Dryden and Fort Frances.
• People can attend and return home the same day.
• Semi-annual sector meetings in Thunder Bay maintain networking
opportunities and draw quality presenters.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 8
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Resource Sharing in Rainy
River District (RRD)
• 9 of 10 municipalities in Rainy River District are within 90 km of
each other.
• Communities have similar risk profiles due to weather, railway,
Highway 11 and natural gas pipeline.
• Provincial services—EMS, MNR and policing—are provided by the
same offices to all communities.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 9
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Resource Sharing
• CEMCs have agreed to act as alternates for their neighbours if
required.
• Many communities list their neighbour’s Emergency Operation
Centre as their alternate location during an emergency.
• Allows for efficient use of human and physical resources that are
often in short supply in small communities.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 10
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Common Training/Exercise
• Nine RRD municipalities train and exercise in a common forum
annually, hosted by the Township of Emo.
• Given the communities’ similar risk profiles, it is reasonable to
practice for the same hazards.
• Up to 75 people in attendance.
• Provincial representatives only need to attend this forum, instead
of 9 individual sessions, which may not be practical.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 11
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 12
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Common Training/Exercise
• Fort Frances CEMC attends Emo sessions and offers ongoing
mentoring and assistance to other District CEMCs.
• Some other sector communities train and exercise with neighbours,
in groups of two or three.
• In 2008, 25 of the sector communities participated in Exercise
Trillium Response, a scenario based on a Region wide ice storm.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 13
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Partnerships
• Long time Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER)
group in Thunder Bay and area.
• Comprised of members from municipalities, the province, NGOs,
the private sector and educational institutions.
• CAER builds networks, shares information and develops tools to
address emergency response issues.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 14
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Partnerships
• Canadian Red Cross is a partner in this conference.
• Provides training to communities and offers services during an
emergency response.
• Several companies and organizations have led or participated in
community exercises – TransCanada PipeLines, CP Rail, Ontario
Power Generation, Goldcorp Mines and MNR.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 15
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Partnerships
• MNR is a conference partner.
• Sioux Lookout MNR holds annual spring meetings in Sioux Lookout
and Pickle Lake to share and discuss the status of emergency
preparations.
• EMO Field Officer works with Minnesota Homeland Security and
Emergency Management to develop cross-border exercises and
workshops that can benefit communities in the Amethyst Sector.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 16
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Volunteers
• Woody Linton, CEMC Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls has led the
delivery of Basic Emergency Management (BEM) courses in
Dryden, Emo and Kenora.
• Shares his extensive background in policing and emergency
management with participants.
• Mo Douglas of Matawa First Nations Management has instructed on
three BEM for First Nations courses and will be sponsoring others
soon. The course is open to people from First Nations and
municipalities.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 17
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Response
• Emergencies do happen in Northwestern Ontario.
• In 2007, five of six emergency declarations in Ontario occurred in
Amethyst Sector.
• Outside assistance often required from neighbours or agencies to
respond to emergencies.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 18
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 19
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 20
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Emergencies
• Mid-winter fire destroyed a plywood mill in Nipigon.
• Severe cold caused problems with suppression and water
availability.
• Several area fire departments sent personnel and equipment to
assist.
• Canadian Tire Corporation donated a tractor trailer load of bottled
water to the community.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 21
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 22
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 23
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 24
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Emergencies
• Ignace hit by a severe wind sheer that damaged structures and
destroyed forest in the east end of town.
• Dryden and Sioux Lookout offered fire department assistance.
• Hydro One drew human resources and equipment from across the
region.
• Power completely restored in just over 24 hours.
• MMAH team in community to assess damages.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 25
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 26
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 27
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 28
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Emergencies
• Sioux Lookout threatened by a large forest fire.
• Risk of heavy smoke in the community due to a weather inversion.
• People with respiratory vulnerabilities evacuated to Dryden
facilities as a precaution.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 29
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 30
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Emergencies
• Natural gas explosion in Fort Frances.
• 300 people evacuated from the area.
• Gas left on for 24 hours to provide heat in winter until break could
be isolated.
• International Falls, Minnesota fire department on standby to assist
if required.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 31
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 32
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 33
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 34
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Community Emergencies
• Ear Falls brushed by a tornado in summer of 2009.
• Three tourists killed at a camp south of the community.
• Fire department responded to the scene to offer assistance.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 35
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 36
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 37
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 38
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Provincial Resources
• Communities can access outside resources through EMO.
• MNR provides aircraft and logistics for evacuations, and, sandbags
to municipalities and First Nations during flood emergencies.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 39
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Provincial Resources
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) teams across
the province.
• Accessed through the Office of the Fire Marshal.
• Provide personnel and equipment to help manage hazardous
materials emergencies beyond the capacity of local fire
department.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 40
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Provincial Resources
• Thunder Bay team responded to a highly toxic material tractor
trailer fire that had shut down Highways 11 and 17.
• Team worked with 2 local fire brigades from Unorganized Areas to
suppress the fire.
• Highways reopened in 12 hours.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 41
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 42
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 43
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 44
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Provincial Resources
• MMAH Provincial Disaster Assessment Team deploys to evaluate
level of damage in emergencies caused by natural events.
• Ministry of the Environment air monitoring equipment can provide
air quality data in emergencies where there has been chemical
release or smoke.
• Ministry of Community and Social Services can assist with the
housing and care of evacuees.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 45
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Unorganized Areas
• Account for over 90% of Northern Ontario.
• No local governance to declare an emergency.
• Lack of plans and resources.
• May need to rely on nearby municipalities and the province to
assist during an emergency.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 46
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Unorganized Areas Assistance
• Hamlet of Savant Lake threatened by forest fire.
• Sioux Lookout offered to host evacuees.
• Worked with MMAH to make arrangements.
• Excellent example of communities helping to ensure the welfare of
all neighbours.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 47
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 48
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 49
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Host Communities
• Recently, Greenstone, Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout have hosted
First Nations evacuees on numerous occasions due to forest fires
and floods.
• Hosting requires a major community commitment of people and
resources, including volunteers.
• Despite the work and challenges of hosting most communities are
willing to do it again.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 50
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Incident Management System
• IMS developed in the United States.
• Adopted by MNR for forest fire management.
• Can result in more efficient response to emergencies when used by
trained teams.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 51
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Incident Management System
• Training offered in the sector prior to Exercise Trillium Response.
• IMS Instructor course will be offered by EMO at the conference.
• Introduction and Basic IMS courses will be offered in Kenora at the
end of next month.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 52
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Summary
• Communities in Northwestern Ontario spend most emergency
management resources to prepare for emergencies they hope will
never happen.
• Including co-operators, partners and volunteers in preparedness
will help ensure players know their roles and what is expected of
them.
• Formal and informal partnerships have been developed to reflect
the outside services needed during an emergency.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 53
Version 01.3
You Are Not Alone
LOW
Summary
• Often difficult to maintain a profile for emergency management in
the absence of recent emergencies.
• However, it is imperative that the program be kept current and the
community prepared to respond to an emergency.
• Easier to defend the cost of a solid program than to explain why
the community was not prepared when disaster struck.
2011-03-10
APPROVED
Page 54
Version 01.3