Version 01.32011-03-10APPROVED

LOW

You Are Not Alone

Tom KontraA/ADM and Chief

Page 2Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 3Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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• An outdated and unfamiliar plan is a false insurance policy.

Page 4Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 5Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 6Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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

Page 7Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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

Page 8Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 9Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 10Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 11Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 12Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 13Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 14Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 15Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 16Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 17Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 18Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 19Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 20Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 21Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 22Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 23Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 24Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 25Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 26Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 27Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 28Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 29Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 30Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 31Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 32Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 33Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 34Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 35Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 36Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 37Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 38Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 39Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 40Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 41Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 42Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 43Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 44Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 45Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 46Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 47Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 48Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 49Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

You Are Not Alone LOW

Page 50Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 51Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 52Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 53Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.

Page 54Version 01.3

2011-03-10APPROVED

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.