HomeMy WebLinkAboutESD-008-02
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REPORT
EMERGENCY AND FIRE SERVICES
Meeting:
GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Date: MAY 6,2002
Report #: ESD-008 -02
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File # 10.12.16
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By-law #
Subject:
EMERGENCY PLAN TRAINING EXERCISE
Recommendations:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. ) THAT Report ESD-008-02 be received for information purposes.
Submitted by:
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Reviewed bQ ~- ~
Michae G. Creig on, CT, CMM11 . Franklin Wu, M.C.LP.
Director Emergency & Fire Services Chief Administrative Officer
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REPORT NO.: ESD-008-02
PAGE 2
BACKGROUND AND COMMENT
In January of this year, preparations started for a "real time" exercise for the Municipality
of Clarington, which actually took place on March 22, 2002. The intent of the exercise
was to test the existing draft Emergency Plan and to provide a training exercise for the
staff that would be involved at the Municipal Operations Centre, should an emergency
occur.
Prior to this, in 1999, staff participated in a training exercise called CANA TEX '99 and in
December of that year Durham Emergency Measures Office conducted a "table top"
exercise for Clarington staff.
The benefit of the March 22nd exercise was two fold. We provided staff with much
needed training and we identified needed updates to the Emergency Plan. The
Emergency Plan has to be updated to enable the Municipality to start working on the
requirements of the proposed Bill 148, the Emergency Management Act.
Staff from the Municipality, in co-operation with other Municipalities in the Region, as well
as departments under the Chairmanship of Steve Marchi, Training Co-ordinator from the
Durham Emergency Measures Office, prepared and conducted the "real time" exercise.
Some of the findings that came out of the day were a definite need to review our
Emergency Plan and in particular, the areas of responsibility of the members of the
Municipal Control Group. These responsibilities changed with the restructuring of the
Municipality in July 2001. Once these responsibilities and, in turn, the actual members of
the Control Group are identified, it is staff's intention to ensure they meld with the
Nuclear Emergency Plan. The Control Group and it's responsibilities, contained in the
Nuclear Emergency Plan, will also require reviewing and updating.
Staff's objective is to ensure the Nuclear Emergency Plan and Peacetime Plan are
interchangeable as they relate to staff responsibilities. Once Bill 148 has been passed, it
will require that a Municipality conduct a risk assessment and hazard analysis and has a
plan for each major hazard within the Municipality. This Municipality may have to
expand on the three existing plans, the Nuclear Emergency Plan, the Peacetime
Emergency Plan and the Ganaraska Forest Plan to ensure that staff can work with any
and all plans.
After the "real time" exercise, another area identified as needing review, was the actual
Municipal Operations Centre. It was deemed to be congested, noisy, needing more work
stations, more wall space for maps and more room for staff to work and meet in working
groups.
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Continued....
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REPORT NO.: ESD-008-02
PAGE 3
Staff also recognized that not having the Mayor in the Operations Centre kept him out of
the information sharing process. Any future expansion of the Operations Centre will
include a recommendation that an office be built for the Mayor, to keep him as part of
the Control Group, but allow for the privacy required for meetings and making and
receiving calls.
The Public Information Officer suggested she could function better out of the Operations
Centre as the noise level and constant working of the group made it difficult for her to
conduct her responsibilities.
It was found, during the "real time" exercise, that more computers were required to
assist with information sharing and record keeping. Access to the Internet and G.I.S.
mapping would also be valuable tools. It was identified during this exercise that more
telephone lines were required and more staff to handle public requests for information.
There were many other concerns that were identified by staff and observers who
participated to provide staff with what they saw as areas where changes may be
required. The feedback provided by these observers was extremely helpful and for that
we extend our appreciation to all who took part.
Where from here:
The next step in the process will be to go into an in depth review of all the
recommendations, findings and suggestions that came from the exercise and
subsequent debriefing. These findings will be incorporated into a new draft of the
Emergency Plan that will be before Council in the fall of this year.
With respect to the Capital Expenditures being recommended, staff has retained the
assistance of Mr. Paul Mcintosh of Thomas E. Brown Architect Inc. to assist in the
preparation of a draft plan for the Municipal Operations Centre expansion.
Staff will be bringing forth a subsequent report, also in the fall, identifying the costs
related to the expansion, computer and telephone requirements and proposed funding,
including possible Joint Emergency Preparedness Plan (J.E.P.P.) funding assistance,
for Council's consideration. This report will be a joint effort between the Finance
Department and Emergency Services Department.
It should also be noted that Ontario Power Generation has offered staff support in the
preparation of the new draft Emergency Plan. This assistance will be well received
given the need to complete the risk and hazard studies required by Bill 148 during the
same time frame, and preparation and modification of the other plans.
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1 C.3A6 T (905)62313379 F (905)623-6506
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