BY JENNIFER HOEGG
NovaNewsNow.com
Few people give much thought to emergencies until one occurs. Luckily, this area has an established and well-prepared Regional Emergency Management Office (REMO) ready to come through in an emergency and to help citizens prepare.
With a long, cold winter predicted, it’s reassuring that Windsor, Hantsport and West Hants have coordinated their emergency preparation organization. Since 2003, the three municipalities have worked together to streamline EMO services.
Windsor Mayor Anna Allen remembers the initial decision was about efficiency and cooperation: “through discussion, we decided it was an opportunity to come together. We can share our resources – personnel and infrastructure - and there are savings for the municipal units.”
Planning and communications improvements have also happened, Allen says.
“If there’s a disaster on the 101 it’ll affect not just the municipality, but the town as well. It impacts all communities in a domino fashion. It’s good for all of us to be in the loop. “
Hantsport’s mayor Wayne Folker echoes Allen’s praises.
“It was an obvious trail for us with the communities the way they are. If we have a disaster, it affects all of us. It’s important to pool our resources. Communication is more open in that format. From any perspective, if you’re in a problem situation it’s nice to have company and work together.”
The collaboration between municipal units was a new thing for Nova Scotia, Folker said. “We're a bit of a frontrunner. It’s in place and tested.”
Richard Dauphinee, Warden of West Hants, praises the efforts of all involved. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in any crisis incident or storms. A lot of work goes on, people setting up comfort stations and so on.
“Elected officials are called in, press releases are sent out and are involved, but the emergency operations and volunteers involved - I give full credit. We’re going to do our best, represent our residents well and look after them.”
Allen, Folker and Dauphinee praise REMO coordinator Albert Bahri for his vision and professionalism. Bahri is in touch with all three municipalities, emergency services and the provincial EMO office on a daily basis.
He updates planning and is coordinating provincial Joint Emergency Preparation Planning (JEPP) funding applications for long-term development of REMO capabilities, including a real-time simulation exercise.
REMO prepped for winter
In order to improve operations, renovations are being done at the current Emergency Coordination Centre in the West Hants Municipal Building. Communications, including phone, Internet and satellite links, are being upgraded. “We’re trying to stay up-to-date,” Dauphinee said.
This winter, Hantsport will have a new operations center ready to coordinate REMO efforts. Located underneath the town offices, the space is currently being renovated and set up. “We’ve already put in our generator and even had occasion to use it in the last storm,” Folker says.
The two ECOs will serve the area in an emergency, with a third centre at the Town of Windsor fire department serving as a back-up ECO. In an emergency, REMO staff along with representatives from emergency services man the centres and coordinate response and communications.
Preparedness isn’t just about technology and buildings. Municipal staff and elected officials are learning what to do in an emergency situation and Folker is proud of these efforts.
“I’ve even had the opportunity to be on some courses on management centre supervision,” he said. “In an emergency, if you have some training, there’s a lot of comfort in that.”
The network created by REMO is extensive: Departments of Health, Natural Resources, Transportation and Community Services; RCMP; Land Search and Rescue; Red Cross; EHS; EMO NS; Amateur Radio Club of West Hants; Capital Health; Hants Community Hospital; Annapolis Valley Regional School Board; Kings Transit; Windsor Seniors’ Bus Service; and the mayors and CAOs of all three municipalities.
The existing network is comforting, Folker said. “To have back-up with organizations such as the Red Cross is wonderful. We work with neighbouring communities as well. Safety in numbers; it’s a good feeling.”
Comfort centres, behind the scenes efforts
Opened for the first time this season during post-tropical storm Noel, comfort centres are the most visible REMO service for the public. Often operating out of fire stations, they are equipped with generator power and back-up heat sources. If overnight stays are required, separate shelters will be set up.
“It’s not only for tea, coffee, warmth; we have people on oxygen, for instance, who need power,” Dauphinee said. “There were a number open during the last storm. They were up and running very quickly.”
Bahri says that several hundred people were served by comfort centres during Noel, and “before the storm hits, you’re planning for the worst case scenario.”
There are many behind the scenes efforts, too. Bahri watches the weather constantly and is on alert for “any incident that affects the safety of people.” One surprising detail is lakes and rivers must be monitored in case excess rain or snow overwhelms dams.
Dauphinee noted that preparation is key to avoid flooding. “We have to be ready to lower the lake in Windsor, which you can do only during low tide, in case the power dams upriver release water. Otherwise, many homes would be underwater. We also have procedures in case a dam should break. We have computer models that show those scenarios to help.”
Public communication key
Communication with the public is also important, Bahri says, “so when we do have to respond, people know what we’re doing and why.”
Public service announcements are distributed as soon as an emergency occurs and a 1-800 number is set up for questions from all 18,760 residents.
All three municipal leaders and Bahri urge residents to be ready for power outages and other interruptions in services. Bahri said, “EMO NS does a campaign to encourage 72 hours of preparedness. Make sure you have enough food for three days. That doesn’t mean it will take 72 hours to respond, but it may take us 72 hours to get to everyone.”
“You may not think you ever have to as we live in a comfortable area, but we’ve had White Juan and other storms that have had the power out.” Folker says.
Dauphinee adds, “we’ve become a society far too dependent on electricity and other conveniences, especially in town. The further you go out in the rural municipality, the more prepared they are.”
For more information, visit
www.getprepared.ca or
www.westhants.ca
