“We’ve come a long way in a very few short years,” says Community Emergency Management Coordinator Linda Dickson.
But, while she believes that Minto is doing a good job preparing for emergencies, there is more to be done.
The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act require municipalities to develop, implement and annually maintain an emergency management program to the "Essential Level" of current regulations.
Dickson said Minto has met its 2007 emergency plan requirements already. She noted that since 2004, the Minto has satisfied the requirements of regulations within the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
As part of the maintenance process, municipalities are required to complete and submit to the province an annual "Essential Level Maintenance Checklist".
One of the requirements is an annual review by council.
Dickson said that it is also good to review how the program has met its targets and where Minto needs to look to move forward.
Originally, municipalities were required to meet essential levels of service, which Minto had done. In 2005, the town began offering an enhanced level of service in some emergency plan areas.
Emergency response plan
In 2004, council adopted the emergency response plan, and it undergoes annual reviews.
Most recently, that plan was reviewed by the emergency planning committee. The emergency response plan contains a number of confidential appendices, one of which is flood emergency response plan for Harriston.
That plan, developed in consultation with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and the emergency management program committee, was used as the basis of the town’s exercise in 2007 and was used in a flood coordinators exercise held last fall at the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority offices.
Emergency operation Centre
Dickson said Minto’s emergency operation centre is well equipped and has been enhanced to include a large board room style work area including active telephone lines, fax machines, computer work stations, document boards, maps and audio visual aids. The primary emergency operation centre is well equipped and functional. Work on the secondary centre is required.
Communications
The emergency management system incorporates a number of communications systems from land line telephones, cell phones, radios, fax machines and amateur radio.
Dickson said over the past year or two, Wellington County Fire Departments have been looking hard at their communications systems between departments, dispatch and how it relates to police and ambulance services.
Training
One area where Minto excels, is in training.
“We are well above and beyond the basic requirements,” she said.
Typically, four hours of annual training are required for specified personnel, but Minto offers a number of training programs for staff. Basic and enhanced emergency management training has been a constant objective of the program.
Annually, Minto provides the following:
1. The provincial basic emergency management course. It is for members of the Control Group, emergency operations centre support staff and first responders. Annually two courses are conducted.
2. One day emergency management workshops for all staff and are a condensed version of the basic emergency management course.
In 2007 the following courses have been arranged
1. Scribe training held in June with the assistance of the OPP;
2. Media and crisis communication training for the heads of council and emergency information officers;
3. Shelter management training by the Red Cross will take place in November
4. Control group training offered in May and October.
5. Business continuity and a pandemic planning seminar will be held November 22, 2007 at the River Run Centre.
A record of the courses offered and staff attending is being maintained by the committee. Other emergency response specific courses have also been organized and provided for first responders as requested.
Exercises
Since June of 2004, Minto has held four annual exercises involving the members of the control group and support staff.
In addition, Minto conducted four annual emergency notification exercises with staff and the control group. This year’s exercise combined a notification exercise and a table top exercise, and was held in June at the town’s primary emergency operation centre.
Emergency Information
Dickson explained the essential level requires municipalities to designate an Emergency Information Officer. The Wellington County OPP media officers act within the Emergency Response Plan as those officers.
In addition, the town’s program has been enhanced with the development and approval of an emergency information plan which will be used to guide the municipality’s gathering and distribution of emergency information during any emergency.
Public education
Dickson said that as part of the emergency management doctrine, mitigation, prevention, preparation, response, and recovery are the components of emergency management.
“While it is possible to mitigate the effects of some hazards and risks to our communities, it is not possible to prevent all emergencies from occurring. However, we can strive to create a ‘disaster resilient’ community, one that is better able to respond to and recover from an emergency.”
The public education program is intended to provide information to residents about how to become better prepared for an emergency and what to do during an emergency. Information is provided in a number of ways.
During Emergency Preparedness Week, displays were set up in the libraries and a draw for an Emergency 72 hour kit was made. A resident of Minto was the winner of a kit donated by Red Cross. In addition, the county has been working with the Girl Guide leaders – Sparks and Brownies – with their emergency preparedness sessions. Also, emergency public information can be regularly found in the Wellington Advertiser on the County Page and the Minto Express regularly contains emergency information for residents.
Further enhancements
Dickson said many elements of the program all serve to meet and in many cases exceed the provincial regulations of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
“However, it is an objective to ensure that the municipality’s emergency management program continues to evolve into a comprehensive program. We could limit the emergency management program to the ‘essential level’ of Regulations 380 but in order to ensure that we protect and provide for our residents at all times, including times of crisis, it is important that we continue to meet the ‘essential level’ and move our program forward to a comprehensive level that suits the needs of the Town of Minto. “
“To further enhance our program, a fuel plan is being developed, and a draft emergency shelter and evacuation plan has been prepared and is currently under review with the social services department of the County of Wellington.”
Part of that was spurred by a fuel shortage last winter. That particular shortage was managed by the fuel industry and the province.
“As a result, it might not have appeared that noticeable – but things were tight for a while,” she said.
The fuel plan would identify a "critical resource" within municipal boundaries and determine the best way to manage the distribution of the fuel resource in times of crisis. Some other areas of consideration for the municipal program include entering into mutual assistance agreements with neighbouring municipalities and the county to supplement our resource capability in the event of an emergency.
Mayor David Anderson said that the amount of preparation is incredible “for something we hope we never have to use.”
“You can never be prepared for everything, we can only do the best we can,” he said.
