WEB ONLY: Emergency management message to Wellington North

It was Wellington North’s turn on Oct. 26 to hear Community Emergency Management Co­ordinator Linda Dickson’s message on the status of the emergency management program and the mutual assistance.

She said the reports started to come to council a few years ago as one of the requirements of the Emergency Management Act. She believed it is prudent to let council know “what we’re doing.”

Dickson said the committee’s meeting earlier in the year to discuss the required emergency management program elements including the township’s hazard identification and risk assessment, emergency response plan, training and annual exercise.

“We’re still in the process of working on the emergency response plan, updating it, reviewing it and adding a management response system to it.”

She hopes to bring the new plan to council early in the new year.

She said there were a number of training sessions, including ‘continuity sessions’ with council and senior staff.

There were two basic emergency training management courses.

Dickson said the emergency exercise was in mid September, represented a propane release, and involved the new emergency management field officer as well

“It was  a good exercise.”

Public education included local libraries.

The shelter draft plan was created last year by social services and circulated with all the facilities managers.

Dickson said proposed mu­tual assistance agreements have yet to be approved by all municipalities in Wellington.

This agreement has been in the works for quite some time.

Dickson said some municipalities have passed agreements with bordering municipalities outside of the county.

“It started as an agreement we were working on between the county and the city.”

At that time, officials decided to expand the scope.

She explained the Emer­gency Management Act provides council the authority to execute the agreements.

Dickson said they are very similar to the mutual aid agreements set up between fire de­partments – “except this is between municipalities.”

About two years ago, there were some exercises throughout the county – some involving simulated events that involved property damages.

Dickson said they were fortunate to have the building departments involved.

“They were looking at the aspect of recovery, and how much time and effort it would take small building departments to try and deal with that.”

That information was combined with the knowledge the area tornado damage experienced in 2005 in Mapleton Township and Centre Wel­lington and a heightened re­sponse in dealing with assessing the damage and building permits.

She said the association of building officials worked to­gether on some of the details to put into the aid agreements.

Those would mean that in a time of need, councils would not need to go through the Building Code requirements, which require appointment of inspectors. That would allow other municipalities to share services, although the municipality affected would still be responsible for the majority of paperwork.

She added the costs would also be borne by the municipality making use of the service from those that assisted. Dickson added the new agreements will not supercede the fire department mutual aid agreements.

She recommended executing the agreements with all eight municipalities in the Well­ington are (which includes Guelph).

Councillor Dan Yake asked if the agreement is for building officials only.

“No,” Dickson said.

The idea is any resource could be requested, she said.

However, because of the unique aspects of the Building Code, some specific wording needs to be included.

Mayor Mike Broomhead had concerns with part of the agreement that stated “no party is legally bound to provide assistance to the other party and that no liability will stem from such refusal to provide assistance.”

Similarly, he was equally confused by the response from a different emergency where assistance was offered – but refused.

In Wellington North’s case, it involved Wellington North Power and Ontario Hydro, where lines could not be crossed between unionized and non-unionized staff in providing assistance.

“If you have willing helpers and they’re refused – in my opinion, everyone drops what they’re doing to help out.”

Dickson explained the phrase would apply more in a situation where Wellington North is in need of assistance, but a neighbouring municipality in the agreement is also experiencing an emergency.

“It allows them to say, ‘no’ we can’t help right now. Our resources are strapped with our own emergency.”

It would be a refusal to provide assistance, not a refusal to accept assistance.

Broomhead said, “All I can say is Wellington North can be proud to say that in an emergency, we don’t care where people live or whether there’s a union involved, we’ll send as many people as we can and as much help as they need. We’re going to continue to do that.”

“It’s kind of sad it doesn’t work that way right across the province,” Broomhead added.

 

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