The recent emergency response exercise has uncovered one flaw in the plan locally.
Wellington County emergency management coordinator Linda Dickson met with Wellington North council Nov. 5 to update council on events that have taken place in reference to emergency measures so far this year. Dickson said the recent Huron Challenge, an emergency storm-related exercise that involved the county and its seven municipalities, along with the counties of Grey, Bruce and Huron, found the need to test emergency backup capabilities at the Mount Forest Sports complex. The complex was part of the exercise and involved the establishment of a base camp for the Red Cross in which volunteers were dispatched to areas needing assessment and supplies during the mock emergency.
“With respect to possible power outages, it is suggested the township consider a test of the emergency backup capabilities of the Sports complex,” Dickson said in her report to council. “Half of the facility is wired to accept a back-up power supply, the size of the generator needs to be determined and possible source for portable generators obtained should this resource become necessary.”
Emergency management is also recommending senior staff have laptops for use at the emergency operation centre during its activation.
“Senior staff critical to an effective emergency response should have access to a laptop at all times,” Dickson said.
The Mount Forest firehall acted as an operation centre during the mock emergency.
Dickson is also recommending a mock emergency exercise be held next year involving a field evacuation that would see emergency crews conduct a door-to-door search for potential evacuees. The exercise would also involve an active incident command post, reception centre and emergency operation centre.
Mayor Ray Tout said the exercise proved usefull and allowed staff and council from all the municipalities to learn their roles in a command centre.
Lessons, according to Dickson, were also learned from the evacuation of some 200 residents from Sandy Lake in northern Ontario to Arthur last year during a forest fire evacuation from their community. They included streamlining of emergency procedures between the federal, provincial and local levels of government, the signing of a revised three-year agreement between the county and the Red Cross and native awareness training sessions.
There was also upgrades to the county two-way radio system.
