Learning About Emergency Management

Last week, three new Town of Peace River councillors (I was one of them) along with councillors from other municipalities took part in a 3 hour workshop entitled Municipal Elected Officials Course, put on by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).

The course objectives were to:

• Be familiar with the context of disasters
• Understand Alberta's Emergency Management Framework
• Understand municipal responsibilities described in the Emergency Management Act
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of elected officials in disasters

There is legislation that affects disaster management, including federal and provincial. The Alberta Emergency Management Act (2006) requires the local authority to:

• Be responsible for the direction and control of the local authority's emergency response
• Establish an Emergency Management Committee (this is made up of elected officials and they advise on the devleopment of emergency plans and programs and review the Municipal Emergency Plan--MEP--annually; in Peace River it's called the Emergency Services Committee and includes councillors Heinen and Hancock, with councillor Laurin as an alternate)
• Appoint a Director of Emergency Management (this is the CAO or a delegate)
• Establish an Emergency Management Agency (which operates under the Director of Emergency Management to conduct emergency operations)
  
• Develop a Municipal Emergency Plan (I have a huge binder in my office)
  

It's good to know that Peace River has a plan and procedures in place and people who know what to do in an emergency. But the workshop brought home the increased responsibilities of elected officials and how important it is that we ensure that emergency planning, training and practicing receives adequate attention and funding.