COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

That Council approve the contribution of $81,214.77 from the Emergency Management Program (EMP) capital project 901037 to leverage $243,637.32 in funding from the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) to support the purchase of Urban Search and Rescue equipment.

Recommandation du comité

Que le Conseil d’approuver le versement d’une contribution de 81 214,77 $ provenant du projet d’immobilisation 901037 du Programme de gestion des situations d’urgence, dans le but d’obtenir des crédits de 243 637,32 $ du Programme conjoint de protection civile (PCPC) pour l’achat d’équipement de recherche et de sauvetage en milieu urbain.

DOCUMENTATION

1. Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective Services report dated 24 October 2007 (ACS2007-CPS-OEM-0003).

Report to/Rapport au:

Community and Protective Services Committee

Comité des services communautaires et de protection

and Council / et au Conseil

24 October 2007/le 24 octobre 2007

Submitted by/Soumis par: Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur municipal adjoint,

Community and Protective Services/Services communautaires et de protection

Contact/Personne-ressource: John Ash, Manager, Office of Emergency Management/Bureau des mesures d’urgence

(613) 580-2424 x, 28677, john.ash@ottawa.ca

City Wide/à l'échelle de la Ville

Ref N°: ACS2007-CPS-OEM-0003

SUBJECT: Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP)

OBJET: PROGRAMME CONJOINT DE PROTECTION CIVILE (PCPC)

REPORT RECOMMENDATION

That the Community and Protective Services Committee recommend Council approve the contribution of $81,214.77 from the Emergency Management Program (EMP) capital project 901037 to leverage $243,637.32 in funding from the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) to support the purchase of Urban Search and Rescue equipment.

RECOMMANDATION DU RAPPORT

Que le Comité des services communautaires et de protection recommande au Conseil d’approuver le versement d’une contribution de 81 214,77 $ provenant du projet d’immobilisation 901037 du Programme de gestion des situations d’urgence, dans le but d’obtenir des crédits de 243 637,32 $ du Programme conjoint de protection civile (PCPC) pour l’achat d’équipement de recherche et de sauvetage en milieu urbain.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The City of Ottawa has received confirmation of $243,637.32 in funding from the federal government pursuant to the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) subject to confirmation of 25% funding from the City of Ottawa.

Receipt of the 2007 JEPP funding will allow the City to enhance its emergency capability, with a reduced cost to the City of Ottawa. The project approved for 2007/2008 will allow the City with greater capacity to enhance Urban Search and Rescue operations at the medium level. This equipment will also further increase the preparedness of the City of Ottawa to respond to and safely mitigate incidents following earthquakes, tornados or acts of terrorism that result in collapsed buildings or other structures.

RÉSUMÉ

La Ville d’Ottawa a obtenu confirmation du fait qu’elle recevra des crédits de 243 637,32 $ du gouvernement fédéral dans la cadre du Programme conjoint de protection civile (PCPC), à la condition qu’elle puisse établir qu’elle fournira 25 % du financement.

Le fait d’obtenir des crédits pour 2007 dans le cadre du PCPC permettra à la Ville d’accroître sa capacité d’intervention en cas d’urgence à moindre coût. Grâce au projet approuvé pour 2007-2008, la Ville sera davantage en mesure d’améliorer les opérations de recherche et de sauvetage en milieu urbain à l’aide d’équipement moyen. Le nouvel équipement permettra aussi d’accroître la capacité de la Ville d’Ottawa d’intervenir et d’atténuer les dommages en cas d’effondrement de bâtiments ou d’autres structures à la suite de tremblements de terre, de tornades ou d’actes de terrorisme.

BACKGROUND

The JEPP is a national program initiated by the Federal government in 1980 and designed to enhance national emergency response capability. The aim of the program is to establish a reasonably uniform level of emergency services across the country. It is a joint undertaking with the provinces/municipalities, and is administered by the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP), formerly Emergency Preparedness Canada.

JEPP is structured to accommodate project proposals that can be completed within a fiscal year, April 1^st to March 31^st. Application for funding takes place in the year prior to project implementation and it is also in that year that the project is planned, structured, and organized. In the year following the completion of the project the claim for reimbursement of funds is finalized and processed.

In order to be considered in the JEPP program, project proposals must be sponsored by a municipality, community or ministry and must be supported by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO).

Administration of the program is conducted by EMO and this function includes the preparation of guidelines, the annual province-wide call for project proposals for the next fiscal year, the receipt and review proposals, the prioritization of projects, and the day-to-day administration of the project.

Normally the funding formula for JEPP grants is a 55% community / 45% Federal government split. The federal government has confirmed that they will fund 75% of the USAR Project. The City submitted one application to be implemented during the 2007/2008 fiscal year. Confirmation of funding for project was received from the EMO in June 2007.

A summary of the project is set out below:

USAR Project

The USAR Project (511-27) was formally approved by the EMP Steering Committee in November 2005 with a mandate to formalize the development and coordination of a locally deployable, multi-disciplined, 68-member Medium Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team.

USAR is the general term for a group of specialized rescue skills supplemented by search, medical and structural assessment resources combined in a mobile, highly integrated team to rescue victims from major structural collapse or other entrapments.

Key deliverables identified in the project plan include;

· Identification of Team Members

· Reviewing Best Practices

· Creating a Multi-Agency Urban Search & Rescue Response Plan

· Developing Interagency Policy, Procedures and Protocols

· Identification and Procurement of USAR Equipment Maximizing Matching Fund Opportunities

· Planning Common Exercises and Training Activities

This project is tracking well with both provincial and federal support for the development of the team.

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC) provides national leadership for USAR development to ensure that USAR program development is coordinated, and appropriately shared, among the federal government, provinces, major urban centres, and other national, and international stakeholders. They have recognized USAR as a funding priority for the past 3 years and have provided 75% funding for approved projects. The team has been successful at securing JEPP approvals for 2005/06 and 2006/07 projects for over $660,000 worth of equipment. The 2007/08 application, which has been approved, will see an additional $324,852.09 of equipment.

The acquisition of this equipment will provide the City of Ottawa with tools to further develop the Urban Search and Rescue operations at the Medium level. This will enable the City to sustain a response until a Heavy USAR Team arrives. The acquisition of this equipment will enable the City of Ottawa to better mitigate rescues that fall under the Medium Urban Search and Rescue classification. This equipment will increase the ability of our Technical Rescue team to locate and extricate victims from all manner of entanglement and entrapment. This equipment will also further increase the preparedness of the City of Ottawa to respond to and safely mitigate incidents following earthquakes, tornados or acts of terrorism that result in collapsed buildings or other structures.

Specific examples of types of equipment to be purchased through the grant program include: portable breathing air carts; 300 foot air breathing lines; saddle vent system (which provide ventilation in manholes and other vertical confined spaces); specialized rope rescue equipment; harnessing equipment; shoring equipment (for trench rescues); concrete chainsaws; GPS units; portable generators; winch and pulley equipment, rescue stretchers (designed for both horizontal and vertical casualty evacuations), etc.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

In summary, the approved JEPP project totaled $324,852.09 with the federal government providing $243,637.32 (75%) of the funding with the balance of funding $81,214.77 (25%) provided by the City of Ottawa. City costs are to be budgeted through the Emergency Response Program (901037) capital budget.

CITY STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS

By leveraging City funding to access federal grant funds, Ottawa will be able to deliver agreed-to level of service at the lowest possible cost per the City’s strategic Directions.

DISPOSITION

Community and Protective Services will coordinate implementation of any direction approved by Council with respect to this report.