Preparing for Severe Weather Events

Transcription

1 Preparing for Severe Weather Events Presented to the Building Municipal Resilience in Central Ontario Conference May 21, 2015 Barney Owens, Director, Response Section Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management

2 Outline Emergency Management in Ontario Climate Change Adaptation Case Study Lessons Learned Being Better Prepared Being Aware Public Alerting 2

3 What is an Emergency? A situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise. Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act 3

4 Types of Emergencies 4

5 Emergency Response Response to emergencies changes depending on the nature and scope of the emergency. Response begins locally and expands as needed. Individual/ Family Emergency Response Municipal Emergency Response Provincial Emergency Response Federal Emergency Response 5

6 Provincial Premier Response Structure Ministry EOCs Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) Federal Government Operations Centre (GOC) Community EOC Incident Command Post Local First Responders Incident 6

7 Government Roles and Responsibilities Municipalities / Local Government Incident response Local management of emergencies Coordination of first responders Provincial Level Becomes involved when: Local level of response is overwhelmed; or Multiple jurisdictions involved; or Provincially coordinated resources required; or Provincial emergency by legislated authority: human health, diseases, epidemics; nuclear event; forest fires, etc. Note: provincial engagement during the response to a declared emergency or significant event occurs in parallel to the ongoing engagement that provincial entities have with their municipal counterparts as a part of their regular business 7

8 Government Roles and Responsibilities Federal Level Becomes involved when: Requested by province or territory; or Federal responsibility; or International response 8

9 Medium OFMEM Roles and Responsibilities Coordinates the provincial government s consequence management response for all major emergencies and significant events through the 24/7 daily operations of the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC), e.g. forest fires, floods, emergencies affecting First Nations Oversees all-of-government continuity of operations in response to a critical incident or emergency Responsible for the promotion, development, implementation, maintenance and oversight of effective emergency management programs throughout Ontario as defined in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) 9

10 Medium OFMEM Roles and Responsibilities Monitors, coordinates and assists with the development of ministry and municipal emergency management programs through training, consultation, emergency exercises, etc. Supports/advises on emergency management planning across Ontario, i.e. municipalities, provincial ministries, First Nations, non-governmental organizations, private sector. Identifies Ontario hazards and likelihood (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) for use in planning at local and provincial levels. Coordinates with federal and other emergency response organizations (Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc.), as required. 10

11 Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) Coordinates provincial emergency response. Includes representatives from provincial, federal, and other partners. Uses Incident Management System (IMS). PEOC Levels of Activation Routine Monitoring - Duty Team Enhanced Monitoring - Need some cross-government representatives Activation - Need most/all representatives 11

12 Severe Weather Events Eastern Ontario Ice Storm, 1998 Greater Toronto Area Ice Storm, 2013 North-Western Ontario Forest Fires, 2011 Southern Ontario Heat Wave,

13 Severe Weather Events (Tornado) Vaughan, 2009 Midland, 2010 Goderich, 2011 Angus,

14 Severe Weather Events (Floods) Toronto, 2013 Muskoka, 2013 Thunder Bay, 2012 Belleville,

15 Case Study Southern Ontario Ice Storm December 2013

16 Southern Ontario Ice Storm, December

17 17

18 Initial Power losses City of Hamilton 8,500 City of Toronto 227,000 Durham Region 15,500 Halton Region 10,300 Prince Edward County 12,000 Region of Peel 19,950 Region of Waterloo 50,000 Region of York 71,000 Dufferin County 2,100 Wellington County 5,780 18

19 Sunday 22 December PEOC adopts Enhanced Monitoring Township of Woolwich declares an Emergency 19

20 Coordination of public communications was the key to ensuring Public Safety 20

21 Canadian Red Cross provides support to communities across the affected areas Hydro One works collaboratively with the PEOC and Hydro utility companies shared deployable field resources 21

22 Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT) deployed to Sunnybrook Hospital 22

23 POWER IS OUT 48 hours post event Bolton: 2,125 customers Brockville: 3,859 customers Dundas: 4,075 customers Guelph: 7,582 customers Listowel: 558 customers Orangeville: 4,503 customers Peterborough: 1,414 customers Brampton (Hydro One Brampton): 1,400 customers Halton Hills Hydro: 2,500 customers York Region (Power Stream): 7,000 customers Durham Region (Veridian): 4,000 customers Milton Hydro: 1,000 customers Oshawa PUC: 2,000 customers 23

24 Ministry of Natural Resources provides Wood Clearance Teams Manitoba Hydro volunteers head to Ontario on Christmas Eve 24

25 Urban and Rural Events and Operations Planning Considerations Nature/timing Size, scope and duration Population base Keeping your EM Plan Operational Surge capacity to fulfill operational needs Partnerships Outreach and deployment NGO engagement The new OPS 25

26 Critical Infrastructure Energy/Power/Generation Transportation Routes Hospitals and LTC Facilities Supply Chain and Resources Emergency Services 26

27 Public Expectations Won t affect me Immediate fix Confirming restoration Media as a partner Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we're still at the mercy of nature. Neil degrasse Tyson 27

28 Human Behavior Won t affect me Government to the rescue Personal preparedness Entitlements The posture change and event duration Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we're still at the mercy of nature. Neil degrasse Tyson 28

29 Vulnerable Populations Who and where are they? Wellness checks and process Warming and receptions centres Demographics/Languages 29

30 Communications Frequent, accurate and transparent Public safety messaging Urban centric vs. needs of others Media technical briefings Use of social media our new world 30

31 Lessons Learned Personal preparedness is a 365 job Stick to the plan Apply and affirm AAR recommendations Enhance operational surge capacity If it is valuable put a generator on it Profile education and awareness Public/Private partnerships 31

32 Being Better Prepared The goal is to make the adaptation process a component of existing decision-making and planning frameworks. In the context of adaptation, mainstreaming refers to the integration of adaptation considerations (or climate risks) such that they become part of policies, programs, practices and operations at all levels of decision-making. Secondary effects that may change the severity or frequency of emergency events: Health effects due to hot summers and warmer winters; Flood and forest fire events requiring evacuations; Linkages from climate change to disease patterns, (e.g. vectorborne and exotic diseases); and Loss/decline of Northern Ontario permafrost and winter ice cover 32

33 Being Better Prepared Incorporating climate change considerations into Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA) by reassessing risk levels of hazards Ongoing emergency planning for vulnerable populations (seniors, socially disadvantaged, people with physical or mental disabilities) Identifying and implementing adaptive measures as part of climate change strategies Adaptive measures include improved disease surveillance, use of air and water filtering systems, distribution of air cooling systems to the poor and elderly, better use of weather forecasting systems, implementation of health warning outreach during times of extreme heat or poor air quality, and improved and expanded disaster preparedness, emergency management and public education programs. Source: U.S. National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change 33

34 Being Aware Public Alerting Ontario s Emergency Public Warning System is an early warning system to alert people about actual or potential emergencies, including protective actions Alerts issued through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre will automatically interrupt TV and radio to broadcast this important information Alerts are also issued via , text, Twitter, Facebook and posted on the OFMEM website. Subscribe to alerts via: ontario.ca/emo 34

35 What s Ahead In Emergency Management MCSCS Minister s Mandate Letter and review of emergency management in Ontario Continued implementation of Elliott Lake Inquiry, 2014 Ice Storm Report and Supply Chain recommendations Continued Surge Capacity implementation in Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) National Public Alerting Program implementation Transportation of Dangerous Goods implementation 35

36 Ministers Mandate Letters MCSCS Focusing on Public Safety Working with ministry partners and stakeholders to undertake a comprehensive review of the province s emergency management systems. This will build on lessons learned from recent experiences, such as the 2013 ice storm. Your goals are ongoing improvement, protecting public safety and adapting to the growing impacts of climate change. You will also work with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to ensure alignment between this review and the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program review. MMAH Reviewing Disaster Response Undertaking a review of the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program. Your goals are to ensure the program design and criteria reflect current needs in addressing extreme weather events and build upon lessons learned from recent experiences, such as the 2013 ice storm. You will do so in alignment with the comprehensive review of the province s emergency management system by the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. 36

37 Mandate Letter Proposed Areas of Focus Legislation, Plans and Policy Provincial Emergency Management Doctrine Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) Provincial Plans Provincial Emergency Response Plan, Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan, Order in Council Plans Role of provincial staff in providing advice and assistance to impacted communities Continuity of Operations (COOP) The role of the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) in coordinating the provincial response to emergencies The coordination between Ministry Emergency Management Programs and Emergency Operations Centres and OFMEM/PEOC 37

38 Questions 38