3. EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM – Year 4
PROGRAMME MUNICIPAL DE
GESTION DES SITUATIONS D’URGENCE – 4ième annéE |
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
That Council:
1.
Receive
this annual report on the Emergency Management Program - Year 4 for
information.
2. Approve
the Disaster Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan, Version 1.0 and that it
becomes an Appendix to the City of Ottawa Emergency Management Plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS
DU COMITÉ
Que le
Conseil :
1. reçoive à titre
d’information le présent rapport annuel sur le Programme de gestion des
situations d’urgence – 4ème année;
2. approuve le Plan de
sensibilisation psychosociale d’urgence en cas de catastrophe, version 1.0, et
en fasse une annexe au Programme de gestion des situations d’urgence de la
Ville d’Ottawa.
DOCUMENTATION
1.
Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective Services
Department report dated 24 April 2008 (ACS2008-CPS-OEM-0001).
Report
to/Rapport au:
Community and Protective Services Committee
Comité des services communautaires
et de protection
and
Council /et Conseil
24 April 2008/le 24 avril 2008
Submitted
by / Soumis par :
Steve Kanellakos,
Deputy City Manager / Directeur
municipal adjoint,
Community and Protective Services /
Services communautaires et de protection
Contact Person /
Personne ressource : John Ash, Manager / gestionnaire
Office of Emergency Management / Bureau de
gestion des mesures d'urgence
(613) 580-2424 x 28627, John.Ash@ottawa.ca
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SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
PROGRAMME MUNICIPAL DE GESTION DES SITUATIONS D’URGENCE – 4ième annéE |
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That Community and Protective Services Committee recommend that
Council:
1. Receive
this annual report on the Emergency Management Program - Year 4 for
information.
2. Approve
the Disaster Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan, Version 1.0 and that it
becomes an Appendix to the City of Ottawa Emergency Management Plan.
RECOMMANDATIONS DU
RAPPORT
Le Comité des
services communautaires et de protection recommande que le Conseil :
1. reçoive à titre d’information le
présent rapport annuel sur le Programme de gestion des situations d’urgence – 4ème
année;
2. approuve le Plan de sensibilisation
psychosociale d’urgence en cas de catastrophe, version 1.0, et en fasse une
annexe au Programme de gestion des situations d’urgence de la Ville d’Ottawa.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (originally enacted as the Emergency Management Act in 2003) requires that each municipality develop an emergency management program to conform to standards set out by Emergency Management Ontario in accordance with international best practices, including the four core components for emergency management, namely: mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
The emergency management program includes a number of key
components: publication of an emergency management plan; publication of
supporting plans, i.e., municipal evacuation plan, development of an enhanced
emergency operations center; development of an emergency management training
and exercise program; and the development of a public awareness campaign.
In 2002, the
City approved a comprehensive multi-year, $7.1 million Emergency Management
Program (EMP) which pre-dated enactment of the provincial regulations.
Accordingly, the City has already identified, initiated and made significant
progress on 29 projects that contribute to building a comprehensive emergency
management program in keeping with the stringent requirements of the provincial
regulations.
In 2008, seven projects are prioritized to move forward to
enhance the City’s capacity and capability to meet Ottawa-specific emergency
management needs. These projects will help to address known risks and gaps, and
in turn, will impact the city’s ability to respond effectively to complex
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) events and major
structural collapses, to address the psychosocial needs of the public and city
staff and to enhance the City’s ability to share and communicate critical
information to the public.
Funding for the
City's Emergency Management Program is contained in the Community and
Protective Services Capital Budget. The funding
committed by City Council to EMP is aimed at optimizing the City’s emergency
management capabilities by addressing multi-agency emergency management
initiatives that could not be funded within a single unit’s operating budget. For 2008, $1.5
million in capital funds was requested to ensure that the identified projects
could continue to be developed and implemented. This budget request was approved. Consequently, projects will be implemented accordingly and JEPP
funding acquired as outlined in this report.
Through the
rigorous project management structure in place to complete the projects and the
ongoing training activities developed to improve effectiveness during an
emergency, Ottawa continues to lead Canadian municipalities in the area of
Emergency Management. To that end, the
Emergency Management Program continues to engage all city departments/branches
and services across the corporation including the City Manager and the
Executive Management Team as well as external partners fostering collaboration
and communication on emergency management initiatives.
2007 EMP
highlights included:
·
Completion of the Disaster
Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan
·
Completion of the Emergency
Personnel Identification Project
·
Completion of modifications to
the current Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)
·
Completed the interior conversion
of the Mobile Treatment and Rehabilitation Unit and its deployment guidelines
·
Further development of the
Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program – Launch of the Ottawa-based
Basic Emergency Management Course
·
Building on the “Are you Ready”
Public Education and Awareness Program
·
Corporate planning and
coordination for special events, e.g. North American Leaders Summit and Stanley
Cup Playoffs
RÉSUMÉ
La Loi sur la protection civile et la
gestion des situations d’urgence (auparavant édictée, en 2003, comme la Loi sur la gestion des situations d’urgence)
exige de chaque municipalité qu’elle élabore un programme de gestion des
situations d’urgence (PGSU) pour respecter les normes établies par Gestion des
situations d’urgence Ontario, en conformité avec les pratiques exemplaires
internationales, y compris les quatre principaux volets de la gestion des
situations d’urgence : l’atténuation des risques et la prévention, la
préparation, les interventions d’urgence et le rétablissement.
Le PGSU comprend
un certain nombre d’éléments clés : la diffusion d’un plan de gestion des
situations d’urgence; la diffusion de plans connexes, comme le plan
d’évacuation municipal; l’amélioration du Centre des opérations d’urgence; la
conception d’un programme d’exercices et de formation sur la gestion des mesures
d’urgence; l’élaboration d’une campagne de sensibilisation du
public.
En 2002, la Ville a approuvé la mise en œuvre
d’un PGSU pluriannuel et détaillé de 7,1 millions de dollars, dont l’entrée en
vigueur a précédé l’édiction des règlements provinciaux. Aussi a-t-elle déjà
circonscrit et lancé 29 projets appuyant l’élaboration d’un programme exhaustif
de gestion des situations d’urgence, conformément aux strictes exigences des
règlements provinciaux.
Sept projets ont
été décrétés prioritaires en 2008 pour renforcer les capacités de la Ville et
répondre aux besoins propres à Ottawa en matière de gestion des urgences. Ces
projets permettront à la Ville de s’attaquer à des lacunes et à des risques
connus et l’aideront donc à réagir efficacement aux complexes incidents
chimiques, biologiques, radiologiques, nucléaires et explosifs (CBRNE) ainsi
qu’aux effondrements structuraux importants, pour mieux répondre aux besoins
psychosociaux du public et du personnel municipal, et améliorer le partage et
la communication de l’information critique au public.
Les fonds alloués
au PGSU proviennent du budget d’immobilisations des Services communautaires et
de protection. Le financement engagé par le Conseil municipal en faveur du PGSU
vise à optimiser les capacités de gestion des situations d’urgence de la Ville
en favorisant des initiatives de collaboration entre les organismes qui
n’auraient pu être financées à l’intérieur du budget de fonctionnement d’une
seule unité opérationnelle. En 2008, des fonds pour dépenses en capital de 1,5
million de dollars ont été demandés pour assurer la poursuite de l’élaboration
et de la mise en œuvre des projets cernés. Cette demande de financement a été
approuvée et les projets seront mis en œuvre. Le programme conjoint de
préparation d’urgence bénéficiera du financement requis, comme le précise le
présent rapport.
Forte de sa rigoureuse structure de gestion
pour mener à bien les projets et les activités de formation permanentes visant
à améliorer son efficacité dans les situations d’urgence, la Ville d’Ottawa
demeure un modèle pour les municipalités canadiennes dans ce domaine. De fait,
le Programme de gestion des situations d’urgence continue de faire intervenir
l’ensemble des services et directions de la Ville, y compris le directeur
municipal et l’équipe de la haute direction, de même que des partenaires externes
ouverts à la collaboration et aux communications en matière de gestion des
situations d’urgence.
Quelques faits saillants du PGSU de
2007 :
·
Achèvement du Plan de sensibilisation psychosociale d’urgence en cas de
catastrophe;
·
Mise en œuvre du projet d’identification du personnel affecté aux
urgences;
·
Fin des modifications à l’actuel Centre des opérations d’urgence (COU);
·
Adaptation intérieure de l’unité mobile de traitement et de
réadaptation; définition des lignes directrices relatives à son déploiement;
·
Perfectionnement du programme d’exercices et de formation sur la gestion
des mesures d’urgence;
·
Lancement du cours de gestion de base des situations d’urgence, adapté à
Ottawa;
·
Poursuite du programme d’éducation et de sensibilisation du public
« Êtes-vous prêt? »;
·
Planification et coordination d’événements spéciaux, comme le Sommet des
leaders nord-américains et les éliminatoires de la Coupe Stanley.
BACKGROUND
City of Ottawa’s Emergency Management Program (EMP)
In 2002, City Council approved a multi-year, $7.1 M capital project to develop a comprehensive Emergency Management Program (EMP), for the City of Ottawa administered by the City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Using a multi-departmental approach, this program is committed to ensuring compliance with the Ontario Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). According to the EMCPA, every municipality is required to develop and implement an emergency management program that shall include at a minimum, an emergency plan, a training and exercise program for employees of the municipality, and a public education and awareness program. Having an emergency management program provides an integrated approach to emergency management activities that enhance the city’s ability to prevent, mitigate, plan, respond and recover from disasters and emergencies, while ensuring continuation of core services. In support of the program, 29 projects encompassing a broad range of initiatives have been identified and prioritized for implementation and contribute to the formation of a comprehensive emergency management program for the City and its partners. Each year, the Office of Emergency Management is required to conduct a review of its emergency management program and to report to Committee and Council on the progress and level of compliance with the provincial program.
Since 2002, a number of key deliverables and accomplishments
have been realized through the Emergency Management Program. In 2007, most of the work activity focussed
on the completion of four specific projects and on further development of the
program as outlined below:
Project-related accomplishments in Year 4:
(1) Completion of the Disaster
Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan
A multi-disciplinary team comprised of city staff from Employment and Financial Assistance, Public Health, Employee Assistance Program, Police, Paramedics, and Fire were responsible for developing the Disaster Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan. This plan provides disaster psychosocial planners, managers, responders and community partners within the City of Ottawa with operational procedures to be followed when implementing disaster psychosocial programs following a large-scale disaster. It consists of three distinct outreach programs as follows: (1) Community Outreach in support of recovery efforts for the public at large, (2) Employee Assistance and (3) First Responders. For Programs 2 and 3, recovery efforts include provision of support to city staff as well as to their families.
The Disaster Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan, attached as Document
1, was completed and approved by the EMP Steering Committee. Included in this report is a request for its
approval by CPS Committee and Council and that it becomes an appendix to the City’s
Emergency Management Plan.
(2) Emergency Personnel Identification System
(3) Emergency Operations
Centre (EOC) Improvements
In spring 2007, some modifications
were made to improve the current Emergency Operation Centre’s functionality.
The EOC was activated in August 2007 for the North American Leaders’ Summit and
this event provided an excellent opportunity to evaluate its effectiveness.
(4) Mobile Emergency
Treatment and Rehabilitation Unit – Interior Conversion & Deployment
Guidelines
Acquired in 2006, this specially equipped bus provides a specialized environment for medical triage, rehabilitation, treatment, immunization and post decontamination activities. It can be utilized for the transportation or re-location of multiple patients, including victims of a disaster as well as emergency responders. It is also available for use during special events, such as, Canada Day. In 2007, the interior of the Mobile Treatment and Rehabilitation unit (TRU) was permanently converted to optimally function in this capacity. While Ottawa Paramedic Service is responsible for its day-to-day operations, this vehicle is available for deployment in large-scale emergencies. Deployment guidelines for this vehicle have also been developed and approved by the EMP Steering Committee.
Program-related
Achievements and Cross-Collaborative Initiatives in Year 4:
Specific examples of
program-related achievements, cross-collaborative initiatives in 2007 as well
as recognition of the City’s response to emergency events are highlighted
below:
(1) Further Development of
the Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program
As per the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, every municipality is required to conduct training programs and exercises to ensure the readiness of municipal employees to act under the emergency plan. Accordingly, the Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program is designed to provide training to the City’s key decision makers and emergency response personnel on their roles and responsibilities in managing the emergency situation and in turn, ensure there is an effective and coordinated response.
(i)
Ottawa–based Emergency Management Course (O-BEM)
In 2007, the primary focus of the program was the development of course curriculum for an Ottawa-based Basic Emergency Management (O-BEM) Course. The BEM Course is designed to educate emergency response personnel on the core concepts of emergency management and to provide information that is specific to the City’s Emergency Management Plan. This course is the first in a series of courses that are being developed and it serves as a pre-requisite for all specialized emergency management training at the Canadian Emergency Management College. The focus of this course is multi-departmental and includes participation by external partners, such as, the Ottawa Hospitals, Salvation Army, and Red Cross. In September 2007, the Ottawa BEM course was successfully launched. Between September and November 2007, 3 courses were offered resulting in over 70 internal staff and external partners being trained on the basic principles of emergency management.
(ii) Emergency Operations Centre Control
Group (EOCG) Tabletop Exercise
The Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program also included one full-scale tabletop exercise conducted with the Emergency Operations Control Group (EOCG) alternates and their Operations Support staff in September 2007. This exercise was designed to provide the EOC CG alternates with an overview of their roles, to outline how the Emergency Operations Centre Control group functions in an emergency and to provide the opportunity to work together in advance of a real life emergency. At the same time, EOC Operations Support Staff also received the opportunity to train together in a controlled environment and to validate their roles. More than 60 staff from across the corporation participated in this tabletop exercise.
(2) Building the Emergency
Management Public Awareness Program
The ‘Are you Ready/ Etes-vous prêt’ Campaign, launched in 2005 in the community, became a Program in 2007. In keeping with provincial legislation, this program uses a peer-based training approach to raise awareness in the community about how to prepare for an emergency. Education materials are available in five languages. In 2007, a number of key milestones and achievements were realized for the various components of the Are you Ready Program as follows:
(i) Business
Component:
Launch of Pandemic Tool Kit for Businesses –
Ottawa Chamber of Commerce
In January 2007, the
Office of Emergency Management partnered with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce
for their media launch of their ‘Pandemic Toolkit for Businesses’. Prepared by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce,
the Ottawa Chamber distributed this tool kit to assist the business community
and the public at large in the preparation for a possible influenza
pandemic. For this event, OEM liaised
with Ottawa Public Health and coordinated the city’s response for the media
launch. Both John Ash, Manager of the Office of Emergency Management and Dr.
David Salisbury, the City’s Medical Officer of Health responded to media
questions concerning the City’s Influenza Pandemic Passport and the City’s
Emergency Preparedness Kit for Business.
This was an excellent example of how everyone benefits when community
groups take the initiative to be involved in proactively preparing for
emergencies.
During Emergency Preparedness Week in May 2007, OEM also partnered with Ottawa Public Health to launch the Ottawa Public Health Information Tool Kit for Businesses. This tool kit is mostly a web-based application, but also exists in paper format. 37 umbrella agencies received this information electronically. On the advice of various business leaders, OEM also developed 3 emergency checklists for Businesses (Emergency Preparedness Kit, Emergency First Aid, and Essential Business Documents) to accompany the existing self-directed CD for Businesses.
(ii) Personal Preparedness
In July 2007, OEM in partnership with Emergency Social Services developed the ‘Are you Ready’ Pet Preparedness Checklist as part of the larger ‘Are You Ready’ Program. Recognizing the important relationship between owners and their pets, this document provides residents with a checklist of preparedness activities and things to consider in planning ahead for the care of their pets in an emergency. With the help of By-law and Regulatory Services, this checklist was delivered to 47 various veterinarian clinics throughout the Ottawa area.
(iii) Train the Trainer Network
In summer 2007, the ‘Are you ready’ Train the Trainer Training module was developed in both English and French. This two-hour training session provides participants with all the necessary training materials including power point presentations, speaking points, posters, handouts, promotional materials, and training support. Once trained, each individual organization determines how much time their staff/volunteers can devote to delivering workshops to the community. Participants can choose to volunteer as a Community Trainer on behalf of the City. Between October and December 2007, 3 Train the Trainer sessions were delivered to 27 new community partners. 14 of the 27 partners have volunteered to join the Are you Ready Training Network.
(3) Corporate Planning and Coordination of City
Services in response to Special Events in the National Capital and/or Emergency
incidents– Activation of the Office of Emergency Management
(i) Stanley Cup Playoffs
In May 2007, Stanley Cup fever hit the Nation’s Capital as the Ottawa Senators successfully reached the final round of the playoffs. For this event, the OEM worked with a multi-departmental team from across the corporation to ensure that Ottawa residents safely enjoyed the festivities. In preparation for this event, a case study exercise was also conducted with the planning team.
(ii) North American
Leaders Summit (NALS) – August 20th to 21st, 2007
In August 2007, Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, U.S. President George Bush and President of Mexico Felipe Caldéron
arrived in Ottawa and traveled to Montebello, Quebec for the North American
Leaders Summit (NALS). In partnership
with Ottawa Police Service, the OEM was responsible for the strategic
coordination of the city’s services in preparing for and during this
event. NALS provided an excellent
opportunity to put the City’s Emergency Plan into action and for city
departments and services to use and evaluate the newly renovated and modified
Emergency Operations Centre. The
City of Ottawa (including Ottawa Police Service) has submitted a request for
reimbursement from the Federal Government of approximately $4 million for
expenses incurred in planning for this event.
(iii) Evacuation of Residents on Cooper Street
In October 2007, the Office of Emergency Management was activated to
assist with the evacuation and re-location of 125 residents on Cooper Street as
a result of a fire. Working in partnership with Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa
Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Public Health, Transit
Services, Corporate Communications, Corporate Security, RPAM, Emergency Social
Services, By-Law and Regulatory Services, Red Cross and Salvation Army, a
reception centre was opened and temporary accommodations were arranged for the
displaced residents.
Following all of the
above-noted events, the Office of Emergency Management conducted operational
debriefs with the respective partners to ensure that any issues identified,
along with recommended improvements were communicated to the project teams for
appropriate follow up and that lessons learned were incorporated in updating
the City’s Emergency Management Plan.
(4) Development of Memorandums of Understanding-
Emergency Social Services
The Emergency Social Services team is composed of city staff from
several branches: Parks and Recreation, Housing, Employment and Financial
Assistance, Strategic Initiatives and Business Planning, Libraries, Public
Health and works closely with community partners, including Red Cross,
Salvation Army, and the Ottawa Humane Society.
Depending on the nature of the response, other critical stakeholders may
be engaged to support the emergency efforts to evacuees. In an emergency, this
team is responsible for providing the six basic emergency social services:
food, shelter, clothing, personal services, registration and inquiry, and
public health.
In 2007, these relationships were further strengthened as two
memorandums of understanding were finalized and signed with the Salvation Army
and with the Red Cross respectively. The memorandum with the Salvation Army
covers the provision of emergency coverings for victims of disaster. The memorandum with the Red Cross is for the
provision of personal care items for victims of disaster and shelter management
services should City of Ottawa responders become overwhelmed. Having these
Memorandums of Understanding established will help to ensure an enhanced
capacity to support residents who may be impacted adversely by a disaster. It
also highlights and reinforces the value and strength of the City’s
relationship with these community partners.
(5) Mitigation
Program: Choosing our Future - An Integrated Approach to Building a Sustainable
and Resilient Capital Region
This project is built upon two important requirements: planning for
long-term community sustainability and emergency preparedness. The broader
initiative, ‘Choosing our Future’, includes three integrated long-term plans:
Sustainability, Mitigation and Prevention, and Community Energy. The City of Ottawa is working in partnership
with the National Capital Commission and the City of Gatineau to develop risk
mitigation strategies relative to planning and future growth. It aims to examine how the occurrence or
impact of a wider range of threats such as climate change and resource
scarcities can be minimized. It also
looks at changing the way the City approaches planning to ensure that planning
decisions consider known risks when addressing future development. In December 2007, the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities (FCM) National Board of Directors approved a matching Green
Municipal Study Grant in the amount of $350,000 for this project. The project is expected to unfold between
January 2008 and March 2010.
Leverage Funding
Update
Through the Joint Emergency
Preparedness Program (JEPP) - a national program initiated by the Federal
government designed to enhance national emergency capability, the OEM has
submitted JEPP applications on behalf of the City’s emergency responder
services and has used capital funds to purchase equipment to support the
initiatives that will mitigate risks identified in the Comprehensive Vulnerability
Assessment.
In 2007, the City received
approval for JEPP grants totalling $324,852.
This funding was used to procure Urban Search and Rescue equipment that
included, for example, portable breathing apparatus, boots, harnesses, rescue
stretcher, gas masks, storage containers, and power units.
Since 2002, EMP has successfully received approval for a total of $1.6
million in federal funding through the City’s EMP investment.
2008 EMP Work Plan
The City of Ottawa has met and continues to maintain the current
legislative standards. It is also
expected that further legislative revisions will be announced in the future and
that the revised legislation will raise the required level of compliance of the
municipality. Accordingly, the City of
Ottawa’s Emergency Management Program enables the municipality to be not only
compliant with current legislation, but also, to meet emerging legislative
standards, while addressing Ottawa’s specific emergency management needs.
As per the EMP Terms of Reference, the EMP Working Group conducted an annual program review, as well as a semi-annual prioritization exercise to ensure legislative compliance would be achieved.
Some of the program-related work activities for 2008 include the following:
· An annual review of the Corporate Emergency Management Plan and development of operational performance objectives
· Implementation of the Incident Management System
· EMP project prioritization and work plan development for 2009
· Planning and participating in Emergency Preparedness Week
· Annual Report to Council
· Annual training exercise for Emergency Operations Centre Control Group members
In addition to the
program-related activity, 7 projects have been prioritized to move forward in
2008 as follows:
Disaster
Psychosocial Outreach Emergency Plan
In 2008, staff will be receiving training on the Disaster Psychosocial Plan and its implementation. In the event of an emergency, this training will help to address the psychosocial needs of city staff, their families and residents.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) Team Response Plan
A multi-disciplinary team comprised of members from Ottawa Fire
Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa Public
Health, Public Works and Services, Planning Transit and the Environment, and
the Hospitals of Ottawa worked on the development of this plan. This plan
identifies shared emergency response functions, describes the responsibilities
of each agency, and outlines the preparedness, equipment and training
activities required for the agencies to coordinate, communicate and respond
together effectively during a complex CBRNE emergency. In 2008, this plan will
be tabled for approval to the EMP Steering Committee. As per the 2008 budget,
funding is available to implement the plan including the development of a
training strategy.
Urban Search
and Rescue Response (USAR) Plan
In 2006, work began on the development and coordination of a locally deployable, multi-disciplined, 68-member Medium Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. This highly integrated team is specialized in rescuing victims from major structural collapse or other entrapments and is comprised of personnel skilled in search and rescue, medical, and structural assessments. To date, a best practices review has been conducted and documented and a multi-agency response plan has been drafted. Through matching funding opportunities (JEPP), some USAR specific-equipment has been identified and procured as highlighted under leverage funding. This Ottawa-based USAR team is not only a valuable resource because it enhances the city’s response capacity and rescue capability to structural collapses, but also, Federal and Provincial authorities have acknowledged its importance providing 75% funding to match the city’s contribution of 25%. For 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, the City received approval for JEPP grants totalling $525,357.
In 2008, the plan is scheduled for completion and will be tabled for approval by the EMP Steering Committee. Once approved, the plan will be implemented and will include the development of a training strategy. A 2008-2009 JEPP application will also be submitted for the acquisition of additional equipment.
Municipal Evacuation Plan - Re-Entry Planning
Approved by Council in 2007, the municipal evacuation plan describes how
an evacuation or sheltering in place will be managed in the City of Ottawa, its
coordination structure, general, and specific evacuation functions. It builds on existing municipal emergency
plans and the standard operating procedures of the City of Ottawa’s departments
and services. In 2008, planning related to the repatriation of displaced
citizens will be completed and additional tools created to aid the emergency
responders in making decisions related to evacuations.
Training and Exercise
Program
As provincially-legislated, the Emergency Management Training and Exercise Program is designed to provide training to key decision makers and emergency response personnel for the City on their roles and responsibilities in managing the emergency situation and in turn, ensure there is an effective and coordinated response. In 2008, four Ottawa-based Basic Emergency Management courses are scheduled. In addition to this 3-day course, work will continue on curriculum development and will include two training and awareness sessions for city staff that provide an ‘Introduction to Basic Emergency Management’ and awareness and orientation to Incident Command System Structure.
Technological Enhancements - Emergency Information
System & Public Alerting and Notification
As part of the EOC improvements, technological enhancements that provide a means to electronically document an event as well as manage information flow within the EOC, across the corporation and with external stakeholders are being explored for future implementation. This system will include technology that will assist support personnel in managing major events and chronologically documenting the emergency event and the actions taken by key decision makers. It will also provide the ability to track and manage resource requests and assets, and display key information geospatially to improve decisions and information sharing processes. These enhancements will not only be used to improve communications with City staff, but will also include opportunities to link with external partners. In 2007, the system requirements were identified and defined with key stakeholders.
Public alerting and notification is also being explored within the Emergency Information System project. Currently, the City of Ottawa relies on the local media, the 3-1-1 Contact Centre and the City website as a means to communicate and provide information to the public. Building on the current process, this project will enable the City to utilize additional means such as telephone notification, radio and television pre-emptive messages improving the City’s ability to relay critical information to the public.
Business Continuity Program (BCP)
Between 2005 and 2007, a foundation was established to
support Business Continuity Management (BCM) activities within the City as
follows:
·
Identification of the top ten priorities for continuity
planning
·
Critical services and critical support services
framework to assist in prioritizing business continuity planning efforts.
·
BCM User guides, BCM Workbooks and educational
materials
In February
2007, the EMP Steering Committee approved the validated BCP framework as a
basis for ongoing business continuity planning. In 2008, work efforts will focus on
establishing the necessary structures and related training for the
implementation of BCP corporately.
CONCLUSION
The City of Ottawa and its partner agencies have a longstanding excellent reputation within the field of emergency management and continue to strive for excellence. Through the rigorous project management structure in place to complete the projects and the ongoing training activities developed to ensure effectiveness during an emergency, Ottawa continues to lead Canadian municipalities in the area of Emergency Management. To that end, the Emergency Management Program engages all city departments/branches and services across the corporation as well as external partners fostering collaboration and communication on emergency management initiatives.
As a result of 2008 budget directions, seven projects have been prioritized to move forward and will enhance the City’s capacity and capability to meet Ottawa-specific emergency management needs. These projects will help to address known risks and gaps and in turn, impact the city’s ability to respond effectively to complex CBRNE events and major structural collapses, to address the psychosocial needs of the public and City Staff and enhance the City’s ability to share and communicate critical information to the public.
The Emergency Management Program Working Group and Emergency Management Ontario were consulted during the development of the Emergency Management Program and its respective projects. Accordingly, the EMP Steering Committee has received reports and information updates on the Emergency Management Program.
Given the
operational nature of the emergency program, as well as the confidential nature
of the program related to the identification and assessment of community
hazards and risks as well as their mitigation, no public consultation was
undertaken.
Funding is available and was approved during the 2008 budget process in
OEM capital project 901037 in the amount of $1.5 M dollars.
CITY
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
The recommendations have no direct impact on the City’s 2007 - 2010 City Strategic Directions.
DISPOSITION
Upon approval of this report by Committee and Council, staff within the Office of Emergency Management will maintain and administer the Emergency Management Program and the associated Emergency Management Plan including conducting an annual review and update to Committee and Council.