Emergency Planning

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Emergency Management Program

The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act mandates municipalities to be pro-active and consistent in their approach to Emergency Management. Under the Act, all municipalities in Ontario (Counties and local municipalities) must meet their emergency planning objectives following a phased approach. The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, under the guidance of its Emergency Management Program Committee, maintains the essential level requirements of the program, including the identification of critical infrastructure and accessing the most likely hazards to occur within Leeds and Grenville.

Emergency Management Program Committee

Chief Chris Lloyd, the Counties Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC), chairs the Committee and coordinates its activities. The Emergency Management Program Committee holds regular meetings quarterly and as required. The committee is representative of the true diversity across Leeds and Grenville and the interest and commitment of the community in Emergency Planning and Preparedness. The committee meets to discuss all aspects of the Emergency Management Program and the input provided helps to guide the Coordinator. The membership on the committee is comprised of:

Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC)
Alternate CEMC
Communications Manager
Police
Director of Works, Planning Services and Asset Management
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Representation
County Fire Coordinator
Administrative Assistant

The Committee is also responsible for the annual revision and enhancement of the Counties Emergency Response Plan.

Emergency Response Plan

On October 20, 2016, Counties Council adopted the updated Emergency Response Plan under By-Law 16-71. The plan was developed by the Emergency Management Program Committee and is reviewed annually to ensure that it remains current and contains appropriate measures to address risks within the community as they are identified. The public version of the plan is published on the website.

Community and Social Services Emergency Response Role

The Community and Social Services (CSS) Division of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville has the mandate to meet the basic needs of residents of member and separated municipalities within Leeds and Grenville in the event of a peacetime emergency. This authority has been accorded to CSS under By-Law 99-49. The plan has been developed in concept with community partners, all of whom play an essential role in the provision of these services.

In the event of a peacetime emergency, CSS may be requested by a municipality to provide the following services to evacuees and/or volunteers:

emergency feeding
emergency clothing
emergency lodging
emergency registration and inquiry
emergency psycho-social services

Pre-designed evacuation centres exist across Leeds Grenville. These locations have been selected for their accessibility, ability to house large numbers of evacuees, and they meet applicable health and safety regulations. In the event of an emergency, CSS employees, along with members of a number of partner agencies, staff and operate the evacuation centres.

Training

The Basic Emergency Management Program (BEM) serves as the pre-requisite for all further or additional courses through Emergency Management Ontario or the Federal Emergency Preparedness College. It is a total of three days in length and is accredited through Emergency Management Ontario. The CEMC is trained to deliver the program. This course may be offered by member and separated municipalities within the Counties as well. If you would like to learn more about this training, please send an email to the link below.

Public Education and Awareness Program

Leeds Grenville and the Emergency Management Program Committee are committed to promoting and encouraging public education and awareness of emergency planning. Our primary focus is encouraging individuals and their respective families to take actions to ensure personal emergency preparedness.

The public education and awareness program aims at providing information to our citizens about some of the hazards which exist in our communities. The objective is to ensure that residents and visitors are well-informed and as prepared as possible to cope with an emergency. In particular, the program stresses the importance of every individual being self-sufficient for up to 72 hours following an emergency. Recent events world-wide have demonstrated that in the event of a large-scale emergency or disaster, it can take up to 72 hours for coordinated emergency response to occur.

Follow the links for additional public information and pamphlets.

Alert Ready , Canada's Emergency Alert System, is designed to deliver critical and potentially life-saving alerts through television and radio so you know when to take action to keep yourself and your family safe.

Emergency Preparedness Week

Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week is observed across Canada and is an annual event designed to build public awareness of various risks and how to plan and be prepared for any type of emergency. The first full week of May is designated as Emergency Preparedness Week. All provinces and territories participate. Governments, first responders (police officers, firefighters, paramedics, etc.), emergency management officers, private industries, universities and non-governmental organizations all plan activities for EP Week.

Emergency Preparedness Week is a good time for all individuals to start working on their own emergency plan and emergency kits. As a starting point, it is important to be aware of the kinds of hazards which may exist in your community. A variety of self-help publications are available from Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada at www.getprepared.gc.ca/prod/ord/pub-eng.aspx or may be picked up at the Counties Administration Building, 25 Central Avenue West, Brockville. Please contact the CEMC by clicking the email link at the bottom of this page.

For more information on how to formulate your personal emergency preparedness plan, go to www.getprepared.gc.ca.

Emergency Exercises

Leeds Grenville recognizes the importance of conducting regular emergency exercises and is committed to supporting our member and separated municipalities and partner agencies by participating in their exercises. In addition, every year, members of the Counties Control Group participate in an exercise specially designed to assess and practice our emergency response role.