BASIC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT event of a disaster. The Basic Emergency Management course provides an overview of the distinction between emergencies and disasters as well as the hazards

BASIC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Alberta Emergency Management Agency

Government of Alberta, 2016

BASIC EMERGECY MANAGMENT

Government of Alberta January 2016 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview……………………………………………………………….……………..……….. 2 Learning outcomes……………………………………………………………..… 2 Key Terms…………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Acronyms in Emergency Management………………………………… 3

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Course Description………………………………………………………………… 4 Unit 1 Introduction to Alberta’s Emergency Management…….……… 5

Emergencies and disasters…………………………………………………… 5 Characteristics of disasters…………………………………………………… 6 What is emergency management? .......................................... 8 Priorities of emergency management………………………………….. 9 Municipal Government Act………………………………………………….. 9 Emergency Management Act………………………………………………. 10, 53 The 4 Pillars of Emergency Management……………………………. 10

Unit 2 Mitigation……………………………………………..……………………….….. 12 Hazards………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Vulnerability and risk…………………………………………………………… 13 Risk Assessments………………………………………………………………… 13 All-hazards approach…………………………………………………………… 14 Mitigation…………………………………………………………………………… 14 Resilience……………………………………………………………………………… 15

Unit 3 Preparation………………………………………………………………………… 16 Preparation………………………………………………………………………… 16 Graduated system of emergency management…………………… 16 Requirements for community preparation…………………………… 18 Emergency management partners……………………………………… 20

Unit 4 Response……………………………………………………………………………… 24 Response……………………………………………………………………………… 24 Coordination of response……………………………………………………… 24 Community response…………………………………………………………… 26 Declaring a state of local emergency (SOLE)………………………… 27 Reasons to declare a SOLE…………………………………………………… 28 When and how to declare a SOLE…..…………………………………… 28 SOLE and good faith protection…………………………………………… 29 Copy of SOLE declaration……………………………………………………… 30 Copy of Public Announcement……………………………………………… 31 State of Emergency……………………………………………………………… 32

Unit 5 Recovery…………………………………………………………………………….. 33 Recovery……………………………………………………………………………… 33 Individual recovery……………………………………………………………… 33 Community recovery…………………………………………………………… 34 NGO recovery……………………………………………………………………… 34 Provincial recovery……………………………………………………………… 35 References…………………………………………………………………………. 36



OVERVIEW

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Differentiate between emergencies and disasters and have an understanding of their relation to hazards and risk assessments.

2. Understand what emergency management entails and how it relates to individuals and communities.

3. Describe the four pillars of emergency management and relate them to the roles and responsibilities of Alberta’s emergency management key players.

4. Distinguish between community and provincial approaches to coordinating disaster response.

5. Relate relevant municipal and provincial legislation to stakeholder emergency management responsibilities.

KEY TERMS

Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) Director of Emergency Management (DEM) Disaster Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) Emergency Emergency Management (EM) Emergency Management Act (EM Act) Emergencies Act Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) Community Emergency Plan (CEP) Community Emergency Program Municipal Government Act (MGA) Mitigation Non-governmental organization (NGO) Provincial Operations Centre (POC) Preparation Response Recovery Risk

State of Local Emergency (SOLE)

State of Emergency (SOE)



AEMA: Alberta Emergency Management Agency AEP: Alberta Emergency Plan AR: Agency Representative ASERT: Alberta Environment & Sustainable Resource Development Support and Emergency Response Team ASSIST: Alberta Security and Strategic Intelligence Support Team BCO: Business Continuity Officer BCP: Business Continuity Plan CGCT: Cross Government Coordination Team CIC: Coordination and Information Centre (Alberta Transportation) CMO: Consequence Management Officer COPR: Common Operating Picture Report DEM: Director of Emergency Management (Municipal or Local Authority) DRP: Disaster Recovery Program EM: Emergency Management EMS: Emergency Medical Services ECC: Emergency Coordination Centre ESS: Emergency Social Services FO: Field Officer FOIP: Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy GEMR: Government Emergency Management Regulation GIS: Geographic Information System GOA: Government of Alberta HAZMAT: Hazardous Materials IC: Incident Commander ICS: Incident Command System IMT: Incident Management Team LO: Liaison Officer MA: Municipal Affairs CEP: Community Emergency Plan MLA: Member of the Legislative Assembly NGO: Non-Governmental Organization PDO: Provincial Duty Officer POC: Provincial Operations Centre PS: Public Safety RCMP: Royal Canadian Mounted Police SAR: Search and Rescu

ACRONYMS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT



INTRODUCTION

It is the responsibility of individual citizens, communities, provincial departments and stakeholders to embrace and perform their roles in the event of a disaster. The Basic Emergency Management course provides an overview of the distinction between emergencies and disasters as well as the hazards that are present in Alberta. Learning about the difference between incident sites and emergency coordination centres, participants will understand the systems and processes for preventing, mitigating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from disasters. Supported by key provincial and municipal emergency legislation, this course will outline the key provisions of the Emergency Management Act and associated regulations. Participants will have the opportunity to identify the roles and responsibilities of various levels of government and other key organizations involved in emergency management. Essential information on Alberta’s emergency management framework is included to successfully prepare individuals to write the Basic Emergency Management exam. If you have any questions please contact AEMA's Training Section Program Coordinator at 780-644-4811 or via our website at http://www.aema.alberta.ca.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/



UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO ALBERTA’S EMERGENCY MANAGMENT

The Emergency Management Act (2013) section 1 paragraphs (e) and (f) respectively define emergencies and disasters in the following way:

An Emergency is an event that requires prompt co-ordination of action or special regulation of persons or property to protect the safety, health or welfare of people or to limit damage to property.

A Disaster is an event that results in serious harm to the safety, health or welfare of people or in widespread damage to property.

An Emergency is an adverse condition requiring prompt response to save lives and protect property using existing resources and procedures. These are events that first responders (fire, police, EMS, utility companies, and parts of industry) respond to on a routine basis. An automobile accident on a roadway is an example of an emergency. It is a foreseeable event whereby response teams such as police, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) have been created and trained to effectively deal with it. In this example, tasks and procedures are familiar, response often deals within the local organization, and the community management structure is usually adequate to coordinate the number of resources involved.

Disasters, on the other hand, are qualitatively different from emergencies. They are much more serious events that threaten or cause widespread losses and damage, and disrupt social structure and essential functions. Examples of disasters include a tornado in a populated area, an incident involving dangerous goods where evacuation is required, a flash flood in an urban area, a mass casualty incident, or a widespread utility outage. An example highlighting the difference between emergencies and disasters can be drawn from the wildfire of Slave Lake which took place on May 15, 2011. As long as the Slave Lake responders could handle the wildfire, the incident could be considered an emergency. However, once the scale of the wildfire became so great that the resources of the community could not handle the incident, the Slave Lake wildfire can be said to have turned from an emergency to a disaster.

EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS



Erik Auf der Heide (2004), a disaster researcher and member of the Disaster Section of the American College of Emergency Physicians, summarized the differences between emergencies and disasters as follows:

EMERGENCIES

DISASTERS

Interaction with familiar faces Interaction with unfamiliar faces

Familiar tasks and procedures Unfamiliar tasks and procedures

Intra-organizational coordination needed

Intra- and inter-organizational coordination needed

Roads, telephones, and facilities intact

Road may be blocked or jammed, telephones jammed or non-functional, facilities may be damaged

Communications frequencies adequate for radio traffic

Radio frequencies often overloaded

Communications primarily intra-organizational

Need for inter-organizational information sharing

Use of familiar terminology in communicating

Communication with persons who use different terminology

Need to deal mainly with local press

Hordes of national and international reporters

Management structure adequate to coordinate the number of resources involved

Resources often exceed management capacity (e.g. management structure not adequate to coordinate the number of resources involved)

It is important to note that an event that constitutes an emergency in one community may constitute a disaster in a different one. For example, a tornado touchdown in a sparsely populated rural area may result in an emergency response or no response. A similar tornado in a highly populated urban area or campground may result in a response involving a number of agencies, organizations and jurisdictions.



In disasters, Cox (2015) identified the following characteristics of disasters which can challenge prompt and coordinated actions of emergency and community response:

The scope is unknown. Unlike most emergencies, disasters are hard to comprehend. Some of the worst-affected areas go unrecognized for hours, days and even weeks.

Communications fail. Communications equipment may fail (e.g. cell lines are likely to be over-loaded or response agencies may not be able to communicate with one another because of incompatible equipment/frequencies). For example, the wildfire of Slave Lake (2011) spread very quickly, destroying cellphone towers, landlines, and eventually a radio station leaving a huge gap in communications.

Emergency services are affected. Disasters are not daily events, so while we might know a hazard exists; it would be impracticable for communities to establish the resources to cope with such large-scale events. According to Quarantelli (1984) a disaster “is not simply a large-scale accident or emergency. Ironically, to plan on the basis that there is only a difference of degree involved, is to increase the possibility that a minor emergency will be turned into a major disaster” (p. 3). Quarantelli elaborates that during disasters, organizations are often faced with a whole new set of circumstances with which they must cope. For example, normal operations at the hospital during the Slave Lake wildfire (2011) were partially interrupted due to heavy smoke (AEP, 2008).

The situation is changing. In disasters, standard operating procedures are often inadequate to manage and co-ordinate the scope and complexity of response activities. Quarantelli (1984) explains: “Organizations must recognize that during crisis situations the environment changes quickly and drastically and that their disaster preparedness planning and response strategies must give consideration to this important fact” (p. 8)

Volunteers are necessary. Disasters primarily affect people. The resulting human grief and social and economic disruptions can affect individuals, families and the community as a whole. Some disasters require the implementation of emergency social services (ESS) as a response system to meet the urgent physical and personal needs of affected individuals so can they can be cared for by regular social service or special recovery programs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DISASTERS



There is massive convergence. During disasters, organizations are frequently confronted with new circumstances that they must try to understand and adapt quickly. They may, according to Quarantelli (1984) have to relate to more and different groups and other organizations, lose a part of their autonomy, utilize different performance standards and operate within a closer public and private sector interface. In disasters, the response is often multi-agency and mutual aid assistance will likely be required. However, as disasters are not limited to man-made geographical boundaries, mutual aid support may be limited or, in some situations, unavailable.

Unusual responses are often required. Disasters require prompt and coordinated actions by individuals with a wide range of skills and agencies using extraordinary resources and processes to counter the consequences. As a result, outside assistance, resources and extraordinary actions may be required to manage the event. An example of an unusual response took place in the midst of the tornado-ravaged, devastated city of Joplin, Missouri. An unlikely clean-up candidate, an elephant from the Piccadilly Circus was loaned to the city to help move some of the heavier debris and rubble that was left behind by the string of tornadoes that had ravaged the city within recent weeks.

Things go wrong. Disasters can cause deaths or injuries, evacuations and families can be separated. Homes, businesses and property may be damaged or destroyed. From a community perspective, there may be damage to infrastructure and resources, and interruption of services to citizens. In the Slave Lake wildfires (2011), the wind picked up. As a result, the fire took out the power to the town. Then, the backup generator failed after which the water pressure dropped. And finally, the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) caught fire. Things go wrong.

Emergency Management The management of emergencies concerning all-hazards, including all activities and risk management measures related to prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery (Public Safety Canada, 2015)

WHAT IS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT?



The ultimate purpose of emergency management is to save lives, protect property, the environment and the economy (Public Safety Canada, 2006). Emergency management strives to: 1. Save lives and minimize the impact on people including first

responders as well as those affected by the disaster. 2. Protect property ensuring that critical infrastructure as well as the

property of communities and citizens is sustained. 3. Protect the environment as it is an important global priority today.

Water supplies, air quality and other environmental considerations help us protect the fragile ecosystem that is conducive to life and enjoyment of our surroundings. By prioritizing the environment in emergency management, we help to maintain a sustainable environment for generations of Albertans.

4. Protect the economy meaning reducing economic disruption in an emergency to lessen community impact. Ensuring that industry, commerce, and businesses of all sizes are sustained through an emergency is vital to the growth, health and well-being of the province.

The Municipal Government Act (MGA) is the legislative framework in which all communities and entities across the Province of Alberta operate (Municipal Affairs, 2015). The MGA was created to support the purposes of a community, which are to provide good government, to provide services, facilities or other things that, in the opinion of council, are necessary or desirable for all or part of the community to develop them, keep them safe and viable.

In creating and maintaining safe and viable communities, the Municipal Government Act provides provisions for community emergency planning and response by allowing a community to take whatever actions or measures are necessary to eliminate the emergency and by authorizing local authorities (councils) to pass bylaws for the safety, health and welfare of people and the protection of property within the community (Section 551(1)). The Emergency Management Act (2013)

PRIORITIES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT ACT



pulls from the Municipal Government Act in its efforts to outline community responsibilities for emergency management.

When a disaster strikes, lives are at stake and effective response means

knowing who is in charge. The Emergency Management Act (2013) addresses the province’s emergency preparedness and response authority at both the community and provincial level. The Act is in the supplementary reading material section at the end of this manual, and understanding it will assist in successfully completing this course.

The priorities of Emergency Management are met via the four pillars; mitigation, preparation, response and recovery. The four functions may be undertaken sequentially or concurrently, but they are not independent of each other. In Alberta, emergency management adopts a comprehensive all-hazards approach to coordinate and integrate the four pillars to maximize the safety of Albertans. Ensuring a strong and seamless relationship across these functions is critical to effective emergency management.

1. Mitigation efforts are the actions taken to minimize the impact of an event. It implies eliminating or reducing the impacts and risks of hazards through pro-active measures taken before a disaster occurs. Examples of mitigation include updating building codes, building use regulations, zoning and land use management, diking, as well as tax and insurance incentives and disincentives.

2. Preparation is the process of building the capacity to effectively and rapidly respond when people, property, the environment will be or are affected by hazards. Examples of preparation include developing emergency plans, training staff involved in the municipal emergency plan, EM exercises, creating mutual-aid agreements, and conducting resource inventories. These initiatives are undertaken in order to achieve a state of readiness for emergencies and disasters.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT

THE 4 PILLARS OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT



3. The Response phase speaks to the actions taken to minimize the impact of the disaster on people, property and the environment with an emphasis on prevention of further injury and loss of life. It is the most public and evident of the 4 pillars. Examples of response include the activation of emergency operations centres or reception centres, mobilization of resources to evacuees, issuance of public warnings, and provision of medical and social services assistance.

4. Recovery consists of measures and activities taken to repair and restore a community and/or organization to a reasonable normalcy after an emergency or disaster. Examples of recovery include physical restoration and reconstruction, business resumption, counseling, financial assistance programs, temporary housing, and health and safety information

The activities the pillars comprise may be carried out sequentially or concurrently due to their interdependent nature. As such, it is important to note that one phase does not have to wait for the other to begin. Recovery efforts should begin as soon as the response begins during a disaster.



UNIT 2 MITIGATION

Hazards are the potentially damaging physical events, phenomena or human activities that may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation (Public Safety Canada, 2015). Examples of community hazards could include anything that threatens a community’s facilities, service delivery functions, staff, or has the potential to generate a large number of evacuees and casualties (Gordon, J., 2001). The province of Alberta faces a myriad of hazards on a daily basis. These hazards and their potential impact are influenced by a number of factors, including population growth and density, economic and industrial growth, climate change, globalization, community capacity and resilience (AEP, 2008, p 11/38). These can fall into one of three categories: natural, human-induced, or technological. In Alberta, natural hazards can include flooding, wildfires, drought or water shortages, lightening, agricultural and plant infestations, human health emergencies or farm animal diseases. Human-induced hazards can include high intensity residential fires, sabotage, civil disturbances, cyber-attacks, apartment and condo building fires. Finally, in Alberta technological hazards present threats to the priorities of emergency management through oil and gas emergencies (pipelines, sour gas leaks), structural collapses, road transportation HAZMAT incidents, road/rail fixed site HAZMAT transportation incidents, critical infrastructure failures, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear explosive events. These hazards and their potential impact are influenced by a number of factors including population growth and density, economic and industrial growth, climate change, globalization, community capacity and resilience. The identification and assessment of hazards, the determination of their probability of occurrence, their impact or consequences, and the ability of the community to respond to the hazard are significant components of emergency planning (Gordon, J., 2001).

HAZARDS



Vulnerability is a measure of how well prepared and equipped a community is to minimize the impact of or cope with hazards (Public Safety Canada, 2015). For example, in 1999, the city of Toronto was quite vulnerable to winter weather when it struggled its way through three major winter storms in less than two weeks (CBC News Online, Jan 15, 1999). At the time, Mayor Mel Lastman made a plea to the military to deploy 400 soldiers to assist with response efforts. The head of the Toronto Transit Commission advised Torontonians at the time to “stay home. If it’s snowing, I would stay home. That’s my best advice” he said (CBC News Online). This example highlights a difference in community vulnerability to winter weather; when at the time Toronto was vulnerable to the effects of severe winter weather, Edmonton could consider itself far less vulnerable based on local mitigation and preparedness efforts relating to this hazard. Risk is defined as vulnerability, proximity or exposure to hazards that affect the likelihood of adverse impact (Public Safety Canada, 2015). In essence, it is the frequency of an identified hazard facing a community and the consequence that may result. While it is important to recognize that no activity can be completely immune to risk, it is useful to understand that risks can usually be reduced to an acceptable level. In some cases hazards, and the risk they represent to a community, can be addressed to such a level where either the likelihood of occurrence can be minimized or the impacts reduced to a point that can be considered acceptable. In other cases, hazards are of a nature where they cannot be addressed and thus, represent an ongoing threat to the community. To determine a hazard’s status a risk assessment is required in order to understand the threat that it represents to the community (Gordon, J., 2001).

A Risk Assessment is a methodology to assess a community’s vulnerability, proximity or exposure to hazards, which affects the likelihood of adverse impact (Public Safety Canada, 2015). In other words, it is the process of evaluating the frequency and consequence of

VULNERABILITY & RISK

RISK ASSESSMENTS



the hazard. The potential impact of each hazard or threat is determined by the degree of severity, taking into account the vulnerability of the organization including the health and safety of persons, property, facilities, assets and infrastructure; economic and financial condition; the environment; and the reputation of and confidence in the organization (CSA Z1600, 2013). Risk assessments are vital to the risk management process as communities identify their hazards; determine their probability of occurrence and the impact or consequences. This process helps them establish the foundation for developing appropriate measures for emergency planning leading into the prevention, mitigation, preparation, response and recovery phases of emergency planning.

Taking an all-hazards approach to emergency management means employing generic emergency planning methodologies, modified as necessary according to the circumstances (Public Safety Canada, 2015). This ensures that resources are allocated properly based on a risk analysis. To take an all-hazards approach to emergency management, not only must the hazards be identified that will impact upon the facilities, service delivery and staff of a community, but the impact on the community in general must also be anticipated in order to assess the potential evacuees and casualties that may be generated through various types of emergency. Hence, there is a need to identify the potential hazards facing the community in general, and a need to assess the vulnerability to these hazards by anticipating the type and extent of the impact (Gordon, J., 2001).

Mitigation is defined as actions taken to eliminate or reduce the impact of disasters in order to protect lives, property, the environment, and reduce economic disruption (Public Safety Canada, 2015). In other words, it is the process by which the impact of potential disasters may be reduced, deflected or avoided altogether. As such it can be said to

ALL-HAZARDS APPROACH

MITIGATION



have four objectives: eliminate the hazard, reduce the risk, reduce the consequences and reduce spreading the risk. Examples of mitigation can include structural mitigation measures as in the construction of floodways and dykes or non-structural mitigation measures as in updating building codes, land-use planning, and offering insurance incentives.

Mitigation applies to all phases of emergency management as its efforts can be applied to prevent a disaster from occurring (i.e. flood diversion), reduce the effects of an already existing disaster (i.e. building berms during a flood), or post-event mitigation efforts (i.e. pumping water out of a basement to reduce damage in insurance claims). Effective mitigation requires that we all understand local risks, address the hard choices and invest in long-term community well-being.

Resilience is the capacity of a system, community or society to adapt to disturbances resulting from hazards by persevering, recuperating or changing to reach and maintain an acceptable level of functioning (Public Safety, 2015). Identifying hazards, assessing vulnerability to them and conducting risk assessments in order to assist in the application of an all-hazards approach to community emergency management helps build resilience. A community can build resilience by reducing its dependence and susceptibility to disasters by empowering its citizens, responders, organizations, communities, governments and systems to share the responsibility to keep hazards from becoming disasters. By creating and/or strengthening social and physical capacity in a community’s human and built-environment, it builds its resilience to cope with, adapt to, respond to, and recover from disasters. AEMA can assist communities to build their resilience through identifying foreseeable hazards & risks, providing them with training, developing and offering community exercises, communicating effectively between key players, and coordinating disaster response when required.

RESILIENCE



UNIT 3 PREPARATION

Preparation is being ready to respond to a disaster and manage its consequences through measures taken prior to an event (Public Safety Canada, 2015). To prepare, measures are taken to avoid an incident or stop it from occurring (CSA Z1600, 2013). Examples of community preparation can include creating emergency response plans, purchasing and allocation of resources and equipment, training and exercising emergency response, forming mutual aid agreements, engaging AEMA field officers and providing education to the public on personal preparedness. To become prepared, communities must work together with key stakeholders in an effort to build its resilience. To achieve this end, communities can engage emergency management partners, establish and follow legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks, in addition to creating and updating their community emergency plans (Public Safety Canada, 2015). It is useful to note that communities will spend the majority of their time, efforts, and financial resources in the preparation phase. It is an extremely important phase and must be done on a consistent basis in order to be considered effective.

Alberta has a graduated system of emergency management. It is a system involving community-based, all-hazards approaches to emergency management that begins with individuals and families, then the municipal government (i.e. local authority), followed by the provincial government, and ultimately, in the direst of circumstances, the federal government. The response to an emergency occurs at the lowest level and increases to the next level of response based on need.

1. Individuals and Families. All Albertans are integral to the success of emergency management system. Each citizen is charged their own personal emergency preparedness. Knowing what to do when a major emergency or disaster occurs in the community and which measures to undertake strengthen the ability of individuals and

PREPARATION

GRADUATED SYSTEM OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT



families’ ability to care for themselves in times of disaster. It is recommended that individuals be prepared for at least 72 hours. Examples of personal preparation could include taking courses on 72-hour preparedness through AEMA, having copies of important documents (Passports, SIN cards, birth certificates, etc.), having a stock of canned food and of course, a 72-hour kit. As many people are not directly impacted by a disaster, having a 72 hour kit can help them adapt to changing conditions like power outages (flashlight), water outages (bottled water) and food shortages (canned food) until community services are restored. Also, emergency services cannot reach everyone at once, so having a 72-hour kit with first aid, candles, and emergency blankets can help tied individuals and families over until emergency services can get to them.

2. First responders. First responders who are well-prepared for disasters have greater focus when called to respond to emergencies and disasters. First responders can first prepare for disasters by helping their families build robust emergency supplies and have family emergency plans in place. They can also serve as role models for other members of the community, leading by example to encourage preparedness (Ready, 2013). First responders can also build preparedness by maintaining their professional development by informing themselves on the hazards and risks in their community along with the types of disasters that could manifest. Finally, first responders can also learn about working with individuals with functional needs, seniors, children and pets by learning about individual needs and how to best respond (Ready, 2013).

3. Communities. As a crisis expands beyond individual and family

capability, the responsibility falls to the community (i.e. local authority) to care for its citizens. The Emergency Management Act (2013) requires Alberta’s municipalities to have an emergency plan and program. Section 11(a) states: “The local authority of each municipality shall, at all times, be responsible for the direction and control of the local authority’s emergency response unless the Government assumes direction and control …”

4. Provincial Government. There will be occasions when communities

require resources and support from the provincial government. The Alberta Emergency Plan (AEP) provides a provincial framework for providing assistance to municipalities. It also provides guidelines



for Alberta’s government departments and agencies when the response requires provincial resources.

Communities have legal rights and responsibilities under Alberta's Emergency Management Act (2013) which mandates local authorities to prepare for and respond to disasters that occur within their boundaries. In preparing for disasters, the Emergency Management Act imposes certain requirements of communities.

1. The Local Authority must prepare and approve emergency plans and programs (EM Act, 2013, s. 11 b)). In addition, a local authority’s responsibilities under The Act (2013) also include entering into agreements with and making payments or grants, or both, to persons or organizations for the provision of services in the development or implementation of emergency plans or programs (s. 11 b)). This can include hiring consultants to conduct exercises and training, or making agreements with NGO’s to provide specific services such as ESS during a disaster.

2. Appoint members of council to an Emergency Advisory Committee. This committee consists of one or more members of council who serve in an advisory role to provide advice and direction on matters of emergency management (EM Act, 2013, s. 11.1 (1)). Activities that may be undertaken by the Emergency Advisory Committees in Alberta have also included:

Reviews of emergency plans and risk assessments. Approving budgets in relation to EM activities. Risk assessment reviews. Reviews of a past exercise or event. Informal tabletop discussions. Discussions on future training.

3. Establish an Emergency Management Agency. A Community’s

emergency management agency acts as the agent of the local authority to carry out the local authority’s statutory powers and obligations. The key role of the agency is to prepare and implement the municipal emergency plan(EM Act, 2013, s. 11.2 (1))

This agency typically consists of the DEM and key members of first response, senior members of core agencies and organizations in the

REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMUNITY PREPARATION



communities who have a key emergency management role. Best practices would have the following members as part of a community’s emergency management agency:

Director of Emergency Management Communications Emergency Social Services Manager Emergency Medical Services Fire Emergency Public Information Community Administration Police Public Works & Transportation Regional Health Authority School Board & School Utilities Others as required.

4. Appoint a Director of Emergency Management (DEM). The DEM is the key figure in the overall administration of a community’s disaster preparedness program and has responsibility for the development and maintenance of the community emergency plan (CEP). The position of the DEM is mandated under the Emergency Management Act (2013), which states that the local authority of each community must appoint a director of municipal emergency management, who will prepare and co-ordinate emergency plans and programs for their community (s. 11.2.2 (a)). In addition, the DEM must act as director of emergency operations on behalf of the municipal emergency management agency, co-ordinate all emergency services and other resources used in an emergency, and perform other duties as prescribed by the local authority (s. 11.2.2 (b), (c) & (d)).

5. Develop a Community Emergency Plan (CEP). The CEP is the centerpiece of community emergency preparation and response as it is designed to ensure a prompt and coordinated response for events that extend beyond routine emergencies. The terms CEP and MEP (municipal emergency plan) can be used interchangeably as under the EMA their function is one and the same. The Director of Emergency Management (DEM) and the Emergency Management Agency are responsible for developing and maintaining the CEP whereas the Emergency Advisory Committee of Council is recommended to review the plan annually (EM Act, 2013, Section 11 (b)). It is useful to note that as of 2014, the government of Alberta has released the Community Emergency Management



Program (CEMP) to help communities create their plans. This has replaced the Municipal Emergency Management Program (MEMP). Using the CEMP program, a community emergency plan should include the following sections:

Program Management Program Management for Regional Agencies/Organizations Risk Assessment Implementation: Mitigation, preparation, response,

communications & warning, training, and recovery Business Continuity Emergency Social Services (ESS) Program Evaluations, Exercises and Corrective Actions Management Review

In times of disaster, the community emergency plan (CEP) may be activated in whole or in part at the discretion of the local authority.

In working towards developing and sustaining a community that is prepared for disasters, communities are advised to understand their legal responsibilities and authority regarding their role and legal powers in a disaster. It is advisable for communities to review their community emergency plan (CEP) and have awareness of their vulnerability to an emergency as identified in the municipality's risk assessment. It is crucial for communities to understand their procedures for notifying elected officials of a major emergency or disaster.

Disasters pose problems for resource management that are different from those in daily emergencies. Disaster tasks may require the use of resources (personnel, facilities, supplies, and equipment) from multiple organizations and jurisdictions and at times, the use of unusual resources. For these reasons, communities have emergency management partners who step up and assist in times of disaster when their capacity, training or experience has been exceeded. In Alberta, emergency management partners include: 1. The Provincial government. There may be occasions when

municipalities require resources and support from the Alberta government. The provincial government would step in to assist a community when their own resources had depleted to such a point

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PARTNERS



where they required outside assistance to meet the needs of their community during the disaster. The Alberta Emergency Plan (AEP) provides a provincial framework for providing assistance to communities. It also provides guidelines for Alberta government departments and agencies when the response requires provincial resources.

Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) is the agency assigned to coordinate the efforts of different orders of government, supporting/logistic agencies and other emergency management partners to manage requests from the lead agency dealing with the direct efforts of the hazard, while handing the indirect consequences of the specific hazard (AEP, 2008). A community can access AEMA’s assistance by contacting the Provincial Operations Centre (POC) which is its 24/7 emergency call and decision support centre that ensures rapid, integrated and comprehensive government response in support of communities.

As the coordinating agency, the AEMA has the following responsibilities as articulated in the Emergency Management Act (2013):

Coordinate provincial emergency preparedness programs. Liaise with other governments. Coordinate provincial support to community emergency response

efforts. Provincial resources and support are often required to assist local authorities following a disaster or major emergency. Key provincial government stakeholders could include Human Services, Health Services, Environment & Parks, Public Affairs Bureau, Chief Medical Examiner, Alberta Transportation, Agriculture & Rural Development, and RCMP K Division & Solicitor General. This is not an exhaustive list.

Assess need for a State of Emergency (SOE) relating to all or any part of Alberta. This declaration is made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. To date there has only been one occasion where a provincially declared state of emergency was declared in Alberta.

Administer Disaster Recovery Programs. 2. The Federal government. Local authorities may require federal

government resources and support when their communities’ resources and provincial resources prove insufficient to address the needs created by a disaster. When the disaster falls within federal jurisdiction, AEMA will coordinate response to disasters through Public Safety Canada who is the lead agency responsible for developing and implementing federal policies for emergency management and coordinating the federal response to emergencies



and disasters. During such an event, federal agencies having a regulatory role may also become involved. These agencies could include: Public Safety Canada Health Canada Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) National Energy Board Department of National Defence Transportation Safety Board

3. Mutual-aid agreements are pre-arranged agreements developed between two or more entities to render assistance to the parties mentioned within the agreement. They can be made between communities and other counties, municipalities, industry, businesses or government (CSA Z1600, 2013; Public Safety Canada, 2015)

4. Industry is a key partner in the emergency management system at almost every level and has the capacity to influence and support emergency management activities. Industry includes representation from all sectors of the economy with resources within Alberta’s geopolitical boundary (AEP, 2008). Industry is mandated through the Responsible Energy Development Act (REDA) to monitor and enforce safe and efficient practices in the exploration for and the recovery, storing, processing and transporting of energy resources (s. 3(f)).

5. NGO partners are organizations that are neither part of a

government nor a conventional for-profit business. They may be funded by governments, foundations, businesses, or private persons. Alberta’s NGO partners are those non-governmental organizations that are represented by the NGO council. The council provides a structure for the sharing of information on and cooperation in meeting the needs of specific victims and evacuees. Services include providing assistance to individuals, providing services to municipalities, and liaising with the province to coordinate response efforts. NGO’s who subscribe to these guidelines agree that information on specific individuals, families or other persons is not for public knowledge. Members of the NGO council include The Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance, Mennonite Disaster Service, Disaster Child Care, Christian Reformed World Relief Agency, Canadian Red Cross and



Adventist Development and Relief Agency. To belong to the NGO council, members must agree to provide assistance to individuals anywhere in Alberta with no promise of compensation.



UNIT 4 RESPONSE

Response is acting during, immediately before or after a disaster to manage its consequences minimize suffering and losses associated with disasters (Public Safety Canada, 2015). The response phase is the most visible of the four pillars. Examples of response could include search and rescue efforts, providing emergency public communication, and emergency medical assistance and community evacuations. In the response phase, a variety of emergency management players may interact to meet the needs created by the disaster. As such, emergency management emphasizes a coordinated approach to response to ensure the smoothest approach to meeting the needs created by the disaster.

For those who are new to the world of emergency management, understanding the difference between key emergency management players and the locations within which they work; incident site, emergency coordination centre (ECC), a provincial operations centre (POC) and reception centre (RC) can sometimes be tricky. In times of emergencies and disasters, some or all of these locations may be activated depending on the nature and scope of the event. When some or all of these locations are activated, a free flow of communication is imperative in order to ensure a coordinated emergency response. In a disaster, response must be coordinated through and between all of the following locations when they are activated. These are: 1. The Incident Site is often the location most familiar to people when

they imagine an emergency or disaster. This could be the site of an apartment fire, the location of an ice storm with down power lines, or perhaps the site of a train derailment carrying hazardous materials. The incident site is the field location at which the primary tactical-level, on-scene incident command functions are performed (FEMA, 2008). It is said to deal with issues ‘inside the tape’. Staff at

RESPONSE

COORDINATION OF RESPONSE



the incident site could include police, emergency medical services (EMS), fire fighters, public works, search and rescue teams, and other crews as necessary.

2. Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) which functions as a

community’s ‘nerve centre’, anticipating and supporting the needs of one or more incident sites, multiple agency members, external partners, as well as addressing the needs of the community as a whole during the disaster. It coordinates with the incident site to deal with issues related to the incident site. The ECC team's primary tasks include: Mobilization of the ECC team. Establishing links with other operational sites such as schools,

industry, utilities, reception centers and health centers. Providing information to the public and media. Managing the overall municipal response to the emergency or

disaster. Planning for continued operations/services in unaffected areas

of the municipality. Identifying issues (e.g. extraordinary expenditures). Tracking expenditures related to the event. Assessing the need for a State of Local Emergency and advising

elected officials. Ensuring recovery activities are undertaken. Monitoring staff wellness.

The ECC should be established in a suitable location away from the incident site to manage the larger aspects of the emergency. Personnel in the ECC could include emergency management staff (i.e. the disaster social services manager, emergency public information officer, representatives of municipal departments as well as emergency response agencies such as fire, police, EMS, and may include regional health authorities and industry), department heads and volunteer agencies.

An AEMA field officer will be present at the ECC whenever possible to provide advice and a link to provincial resources. In a high impact disaster, there may be a number of other ECCs established in support of response efforts. It is important that there is communication and co-ordination among the various ECCs.



3. The Provincial Operations Centre (POC) may be a community’s provincial first point of contact in an emergency disaster. The POC is AEMA’s 24/7 emergency call and decision support centre maintained to ensure rapid, integrated and comprehensive provincial government response in support of communities. It assists communities in accessing resources and support required to assist with addressing the needs created following a disaster or major emergency (AEP, 2008).

4. The Reception Centre. Many events result in people being

evacuated, displaced from their homes, or otherwise impacted by a disaster. Under a mandatory evacuation (state of local emergency), the local authority is required to provide adequate care for any persons, livestock or property caused to be evacuated (EM Act, 2013). To do so, many communities will elect to open a reception centre. When this occurs, the Emergency Social Services Response Plan, a specialized component of the Community Emergency Plan, is activated. One or more reception centres may be established, either in a safe area in the impacted community or in a neighboring community.

A reception centre is a one-stop facility that provides for the immediate short-term needs of people impacted by the event. They typically offer the following services: Registration and inquiry (accounting for people and assisting in re-uniting families), food services, lodging, clothing and hygiene items, personal services including medical support and counselling, as well as registering and assigning volunteers (AEP, 2008)

The response phase occurs during or immediately after an emergency or disaster with the intent of managing its consequences and minimizing suffering and losses. Under section 18 of the EM Act (2013) a community’s local authority is considered, at all times, responsible for the direction and control of the emergency response unless the government assumes direction and control. In times of disaster then, elected officials are advised to take necessary actions to meet emergency response requirements. They are also required to approve expenditures to meet the requirements of emergency response activity. And, If required, declare a state of local emergency and renew or terminate it when it is no longer required (EM Act, 2013, s. 11 (a), 21

COMMUNITY RESPONSE



(1), 22 (5), 23 (1)). To ensure continuity of community response, local authorities can seek situation reports from the municipal Director of Emergency Management or designate.

A community should strive to communicate with and alert the public before, during and after a disaster. Notifying a maximum number of people as early as possible allows the public to react thus saving lives, preventing injuries and minimizing damage to property. Notification methods can include radio or television, telephone call out systems, sirens, megaphones, door-to-door notification, social media and Alberta Emergency Alert (AEA). The public should be informed about the nature of the threat and its potential severity, the area that might be affected, recommended actions to protect themselves and their families, and where to access situation updates. In conjunction with the emergency public information manager or designate, a community may also establish a schedule for news conferences, or public service announcements. In situations where the public perceives there is a threat, it is prudent to inform the public of what is being done to handle the event. In addition, local authorities may choose to brief other elected officials on the emergency situation and provide regular status reports.

Under section 21 of the Emergency Management Act, local authorities can declare a State of Local Emergency (SOLE) to create a legal state of affairs of a temporary nature so that the local authority may take extraordinary actions to deal with the situation at hand. A SOLE may pertain to all or any part of the community and must be declared by the local authority or their delegate. Once declared, the local authority monitors the situation in their community and cancel the state of local emergency if it were no longer required. Otherwise, a SOLE lapses after seven days unless it is renewed or cancelled by the local authority or cancelled by The Minister. Some misconceptions may exist regarding the requirement to declare a State of Local Emergency (SOLE). For one, a local authority is not required to declare a SOLE in order to activate their emergency coordination centre (ECC) or their community emergency plan (CEP). Portions of, or the entire CEP can be activated as required to manage

DECLARING A STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY (SOLE)



an emergency or disaster. Second, a SOLE is also not required in order for a local authority or citizens to be eligible for financial assistance through a disaster recovery program (DRP). The Disaster Recovery Regulation governs eligibility and criteria for a disaster recovery program and can be contacted for more information.

The extraordinary powers given unto the local authority are articulated in the EM Act (2013) as follows: “On the making of a declaration of a state of local emergency and for the duration of the state of local emergency, the local authority may do all acts and take all necessary proceedings including the following” (EM Act, 2013, s. 19 (1) & 24(1) (b)):

Cause any emergency plan or program to be put into operation; Exercise any power given to the Minister under section 19(1) in

relation to the part of the municipality affected by the declaration; o Acquiring or using personal property. o Controlling or prohibiting travel. o Evacuating people, livestock and personal property. o Entering any building or land without warrant. o Demolishing or removing trees, crops or structures. o Fixing prices. o Conscripting people.

Authorize any persons at any time to exercise, in the operation of an emergency plan or program, any power given to the Minister under section 19(1) in relation to any part of the municipality affected by a declaration of a state of local emergency.

A local authority is not required to wait to declare a state of local emergency (SOLE). In fact, the local authority is authorized under The Act (2013) to declare a SOLE at any time when they believe that an emergency exists or may exist in their community (s. 21 (1)).

When the local authority chooses to declare a SOLE, the official declaration must identify the nature of the emergency and the area of

REASONS TO DECLARE A SOLE

WHEN AND HOW TO DECLARE A SOLE



the municipality in which it exists (EM Act, 2013, s. 21(2)). After the declaration has been made, the local authority is required to notify the public using the means of communication that it considers most likely to reach the majority of the population within the affected area stated within the declaration (EM Act, 2013, s. 21(3)). Additionally, the local authority is also required to forward a copy of the official declaration of the State of Local Emergency to the Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs via the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).

A copy of a Declaration of a State of Local Emergency Can is found on the following page. Following this, a template for Public Notification has also been included.

Liability protection for those acting in good faith under a state of local emergency is provided under the EM Act (2013). Under section 28 it is stated: “No action lies against a local authority or a person acting under the local authority’s direction or authorization for anything done or omitted to be done in good faith while carrying out a power or duty under this Act or the regulations during a state of local emergency.”

SOLE AND GOOD FAITH PROTECTION







An important distinction must be made between a state of local emergency (SOLE) and state of emergency (SOE). They are two different yet related concepts that are easy to confuse due to their similar nomenclature. A state of emergency (SOE) is an order for a declaration of a state of emergency relating to all or any part of Alberta. A SOE declaration must also identify the nature of the emergency and the area of Alberta in which it exists which can be to all or any part of the province (EM Act, 2013, s. 18(1) (2)). As well, the powers given to the local authority under SOLE are directly derived from those of the SOE (EM Act, 2013, s. 19 (1) & s. 24 (1) (b)). In contrast to the SOLE which remains in effect for seven days unless cancelled or renewed, the SOE lasts for twenty-eight days unless cancelled or renewed. Additionally, a SOLE declaration ceases to be of any force or effect on the making of an order for a SOE by the Lieutenant Governor in Council relating to the same area of the municipality. As such, it can be said that a SOE supersedes a SOLE

STATE OF EMERGENCY (SOE)



UNIT 5 RECOVERY

Depending on the disaster event, a community will be faced with a variety of post-event activities to assist in its return to a new kind of normal. Recovery is defined as the restoration of conditions to an acceptable level through measures taken after a disaster (Public Safety Canada, 2015). Depending on the nature and scope of the event, examples of recovery activities may include evacuees returning to their homes, critical incident stress debriefings and trauma counselling, damage and loss assessment, reconstruction, restoration of services, resumption of business operations, clean up and waste removal, housing and relocation, financial assistance, economic impact studies, plan revision and updating, recognition of staff and volunteers, and organizing memorial events.

There is a strong relationship between long-term sustainable recovery and prevention and mitigation of future disasters. Recovery planning facilitates the recovery of affected individuals, communities, and infrastructure as quickly and efficiently as possible. Recovery efforts should be conducted with a view towards disaster risk reduction (AEP, 2008). As such, mitigation efforts can be directly taken from lessons learned during the recovery phase. Thus, the four pillars can be seen as having an unending reciprocal relationship.

A large effort may be required to return individuals and families to "normal" day-to-day functioning. For many people, depending on how they were personally affected by the disaster, adapting to a "new normal" will be the primary goal as they learn to live in changed circumstances.

When response activities have wound down after a disaster, individuals have a crucial role to play in the recovery phase. The nature of the event will dictate the roles and responsibilities to be undertaken.

RECOVERY

INDIVIDUAL RECOVERY



Examples of these could be clean-up activities including waste removal and disposal of debris, communicating with insurance companies regarding lost or damaged property, replacing lost documents such as passports and drivers licenses, and seeking out psychological care to address the trauma incurred by the disaster event itself. It is important that Albertans understand that they have some control over their individual recovery after a disaster.

Once the response phase has wound down within a community, it can begin to focus its entire energy on activities to support community recovery. The community is required to make payments for the cost of the response according to section 13 of the EM Act (2013): “When an expenditure with respect to a disaster is made by the government within or for the benefit of a municipality, the local authority, other than a park superintendent or an Indian band council, shall, if so required by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, pay to the Minister the amount of the expenditure or the portion of it as may be specified in the order at the times and on the terms as to the payment of interest and otherwise that the order may require”. Additionally, a community may conduct damage and loss assessments to community infrastructure, restore services such as utilities, transportation, schools, and other community support services, conduct after action reviews, provide outreach programs for survivors, and revise and update their community emergency plan.

Members of Alberta’s NGO (non-governmental organization) Council are committed to assisting disaster victims anywhere in Alberta. Some members include The Salvation Army, Canadian Red Cross, Mennonite Disaster Services, Canadian Disaster Child Care, Christian Reform World Relief Committee, St. John Ambulance, and the Canadian Convention of Southern Baptists Disaster Relief. In instances of prolonged victim distress arising from a disaster, NGO’s agree to cooperate fully in the assessment of, provision of resources for, and meeting of victim needs. In the recovery stage, this may include assisting with community clean-up, providing psychological

COMMUNITY RECOVERY

NGO RECOVERY



counselling, assisting with replacing lost items, assisting victims with paperwork, or other recovery tasks as needed.

The province of Alberta has disaster recovery programs (DRP) that provide financial assistance for municipalities and their citizens who incur uninsurable loss and damage as a result of a disastrous event. Disaster financial assistance programs are administered under the Alberta Disaster Recovery Regulation and Alberta Disaster Assistance Guidelines and are designed to serve as a safety net to assist with essential needs only for uninsurable loss and damage to homes, farms and small businesses, as well as municipal and provincial infrastructure damage and emergency operations costs. Most programs result from overland flooding and groundwater seepage. These programs are an effective way of assisting municipalities by ensuring that the costs of disasters are shared by all Albertans and, whenever possible, by all Canadians through cost sharing arrangements with the federal government.

After a major emergency or disaster event the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) in co-operation with communities monitor the situation to determine if there is likely to be a need for financial assistance. The province’s disaster recovery committee reviews the circumstances of the event and makes recommendations regarding possible program approval. Upon the announcement of a program, communities are asked to notify the affected citizens of the location and operational hours of the registration centres. Assistance is not paid when the damages, loss or costs could have been: reasonably prevented; could be recovered under another government program; or recovered through legal action. For further information contact your AEMA Field Officer or the Disaster Recovery Programs Coordinator, AEMA.

PROVINCIAL RECOVERY



REFERENCES Alberta Emergency Management Agency. Retrieved from

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/ Alberta Emergency Plan (2008). Alberta Emergency Management

Agency, Municipal Affairs. (Currently under review). Retrieved from http://www.aema.alberta.ca/documents/Alberta_Emerg_Plan_2008.pdf

Auf der Heide, Erik, (2004) "Common Misconceptions about Disasters:

Panic, the 'Disaster Syndrome,' and Looting", in M. O’Leary. The First 72 Hours: A Community Approach to Disaster Preparedness. Lincoln, Nebraska: iUniverse Publishing.

Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness. Retrieved from

http://www.ccep.ca/ CBC News (1999). Toronto Calls in Army to battle Storm. CBCnews

Canada. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto-calls-in-army-to-battle-storm-1.182326

CSA Z1600 (2013). Emergency and Continuity Management Programs.

CSA Z1600 Technical Committee. Emergency Management Act ( RSA 2000, 2013, c. E-6.8). Retrieved from

http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/E06P8.pdf Emergency Management Act (SC 2007, c15). Retrieved from

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-4.56/ Emergency Management Ontario. Retrieved from

http://www.emergencymanagementontario.ca Gordon, James A (2001). Risk Assessment and Management in Local

Government Emergency Planning. Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. Retrieved from http://www.iclr.org/images/Risk_assessment_and_management_in_local_government_emergency_planning.pdf

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/documents/Alberta_Emerg_Plan_2008.pdf

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/documents/Alberta_Emerg_Plan_2008.pdf

http://www.ccep.ca/

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto-calls-in-army-to-battle-storm-1.182326

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto-calls-in-army-to-battle-storm-1.182326

http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/E06P8.pdf

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-4.56/

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-4.56/

http://www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/

http://www.iclr.org/images/Risk_assessment_and_management_in_local_government_emergency_planning.pdf

http://www.iclr.org/images/Risk_assessment_and_management_in_local_government_emergency_planning.pdf



Government Emergency Management Regulation (AR 248/2007 with amendments up to and including AR 112/2012). Retrieved from http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2007_248.pdf

Government of Alberta. (2012). Municipalities and response. Retrieved

from http://www.aema.alberta.ca/municipalities_response_main

Government of Alberta (2015). Types of municipalities in Alberta.

Retrieved from http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/am_types_of_municipalities_in_alberta

Incident Command System. (2015). Incident Command System.

Retrieved from http://www.icscanada.ca/ Municipal Government Act (SA 2000 c. M-26). Edmonton, Alberta:

Alberta Queen’s Printer. Public Safety Canada (2011). An emergency management framework

for Canada (2nd ed.) Government of Canada. Public Safety Canada (2014). Emergency management. Retrieved from

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/mrgnc-mngmnt/index-eng.aspx

Quarantelli E.L., (1984) Organizational Behavior in Disaster and

Implications for Disaster Planning. Monograph Series, 1(2). Columbus, OH: Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University.

Quarantelli, E.L., (2001) Disaster Planning, Emergency Management and

Civil Protection: The Historical Development of Organized Efforts to Plan for and Respond to Disasters. Updated Paper # 227. Newark, DE: Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware.

Ready Responder (2013). Retrieved from

http://www.ready.gov/responder Responsible Energy Development Act (REDA). Province of Alberta.

Retrieved from http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/r17p3.pdf

http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Regs/2007_248.pdf

http://www.aema.alberta.ca/municipalities_response_main

http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/am_types_of_municipalities_in_alberta

http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/am_types_of_municipalities_in_alberta

http://www.icscanada.ca/



http://www.ready.gov/responder

http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/r17p3.pdf



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Documents

BASIC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT event of a disaster. The Basic Emergency Management course provides an overview of the distinction between emergencies and disasters as well as the hazards