An estimated 1,000 volunteer emergency responders were mobilized in a major, weather-driven mock disaster known as Huron Challenge and hosted by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) and Bruce Power over three days last week.
The exercise was a multi-tornado disaster causing widespread damage throughout Bruce, Grey, Huron and Wellington counties, with scenarios changing throughout the days the exercise was held.
Fictitious tornadoes destroyed the downtown core of Markdale, a trailer park near Kincardine was damaged, and winds caused a chemical spill near Zurich, and damaged the Bruce Nuclear Power installations.
At one point the province issued a nuclear emergency response plan in response to potential difficulties at the Bruce Nuclear facility and concerns reactor damage might shutdown portions of the power network.
Although the scenario did not involve any simulated release of radioactivity, aircraft from the Federal Radiological Assessment Team, part of Health Canada, conducted airborne testing to test their own procedures that would have been used during a real event.
In the same scenario, there were reports of a bus crash in Saugeen Shores, major fires at Talisman and Kimberley, and difficulties at the hospital near Markdale that saw its emergency procedures taxed due to tornado and fire damage.
For Wellington County, an operation centre at the Palmerston OPP station was eventually moved to the Mount Forest fire department.
Wellington North Mayor Ray Tout declared an emergency at 1:28pm on Oct. 16 and Wellington County followed suit at 10:26am the following day.
The transfer of the centre meant township officials took over its command. For the purpose of the exercise, Wellington North officials were temporarily replaced by Town of Minto officials as part of the training for handling emergency situations.
“We switched out with every municipality in Wellington County as part of the exercise,” the mayor said. “For all the new ones (municipal officials) who have never experienced it, it was good training.”
County staff, including administrative, social services, information services and roads and engineering staff took part in the exercise.
The simulated storms disrupted communications and transportation due to downed trees and debris along the Lake Huron shoreline and inland and forced the temporary closure of parts of Highway 6 and 89.
The exercise also included the deployment of the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care’s Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT) to assist at local hospitals impacted by the storms.
About 150 Red Cross volunteers were on the ground operating out of a base camp at the Mount Forest Sports complex. They were joined by members of St. John’s Ambulance.
Leila Brown, head of the Red Cross disaster response team for the exercise, said the drill was valuable for practicing procedures and for training staff. The exercise was considered large in scale.
“At any time our deployment would change depending on the scope,” Brown said, of the size of any given disaster. “We have people here from all over Ontario. It (the exercise) is for them to see what it’s actually like and to see how it works. It becomes an opportunity to exercise our response plan.”
The Red Cross brought with it three mobile containers holding 100 cots and blankets and the larger ones with 200 cots and blankets. Two of the containers were deployed out in the field with a shelter set up in Kincardine and one dispatched to the Zurich and Seaforth areas. The exercise also tested a plan to pre-locate containers in preparation for potential disasters.
At the Red Cross base camp, staff was updated regularly about conditions out in the field and where supplies were needed. Regular updates were given on spending on the different Red Cross resources as the exercise unfolded.
Debbie James, Red Cross public affairs representative for the exercise, said volunteers also conducted door-to-door surveys dressed in their red Red Cross gear to talk to residents about their concerns should an emergency arise.
“It’s easier to do it when it’s not an emergency,” she said of the exercise.
Assessment teams were also sent out into the field to compile and send back damage reports to the base camp.
Councillor John Green was the county’s acting warden for part of the exercise overseeing county resources and their deployment along with department heads.
“I think the exercise has been successful because the various municipalities responded very well,” he said. “It shows the importance of being prepared for disasters if they happen.”
The politician has experience from before having worked through disasters, including the tornadoes that ravaged parts of the Fergus and Arthur areas in 2005.
In the scenario played out last week, Centre Wellington escaped most of the damage, while Wellington North sustained slightly more damage.
“The extent of damage was about flooding and minor water pollution,” Green said of the scenario played out in the northern municipalities.
Those scenarios were handled by local works employees from the different communities with county resources on standby.
“This was so beneficial to everybody,” Tout said. “You can practice so much out of a book, but in this scenario you get to know who you’re working with.”
During a disaster county department heads have the authority to spend $50,000 with more funds available under the guidance of the treasurer and chief operating officer.
Representatives for fire, OPP and ambulance were also part of the main command centre structure.
Linda Dickson, county emergency management coordinator, said the exercise was beneficial to the neighbouring municipalities in the county.
“This exercise also provided for the first time all municipalities to come together all at once to work for a specific response,” Dickson said. “Plans, policies and procedures are important to have and to test during events such as this.”
“Many emergency management professionals agree that networking and working with each other is the greatest value,” she added. “Meeting for the first time during a real event can hinder and slow response. With multiple provincial ministries and municipalities participating, it added a sense of realism to the exercise and better opportunity for networking to occur.
“The mock disaster was a great exercise for the county and local municipal staff,” Andrea Ravensdale, county communications manager said. “Members of the control group had the opportunity to work with various municipal staff, partnering agencies and get experience for what happens in an actual emergency operations centre. These exercises prepare staff for real emergencies.”
Dickson is expected to prepare a final report on the exercise for county councillors and county municipalities.
