Sample Presentation

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Emergency Preparedness Education
Sample Presentation
Adapted from the Basic Emergency Management (BEM)
course, Emergency Management Ontario
(2004) Note This presentation was designed for
provincial ministries and municipalities.
Content needs to be adapted to use with board of
health staff.
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Components of Emergency Management
Preparedness
Mitigation
Response
Recovery
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Lesson Objectives

• Define preparedness
• Understand the main elements of preparedness
• Learn about and discuss preparedness programs and
  strategies at the community, provincial and
  federal levels
• Participate in a preparedness activity

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Preparedness
Actions taken prior to an emergency or disaster
to ensure an effective response Emergency
Management Ontario Glossary of Terms
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Pillars of Preparedness
EMERGENCY PLANS
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE
TRAINING
EXERCISES
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
PUBLIC AWARENESS PUBLIC EDUCATION
THE FOUNDATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS HIRA
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Preparedness or Not Preparedness

• Preparedness

• Not preparedness

Police liaison officers raising awareness about
safety with schoolchildren
Sending police cruisers to an accident site
Compensating victims of a shipping accident
Planning how to respond to a terrorism incident
Zoning vulnerable areas as non-residential
Conducting a tabletop exercise
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Emergency Plans

• Communities
• By-laws are required for establishing and
  approving Emergency Response Plan
• Ministries
• Ministry Emergency Response Plans must be
  approved by the Minister

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Emergency Plans
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All-Hazards
Hazard-specific
A generic emergency plan that describes
activities and arrangements to deal with any
emergency situation in the community
Emergency plans are developed based on identified
hazards and risk assessments
In Ontario, emergency planning for communities is
based on the specific hazards and risk assessment
carried out through HIRA
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Emergency Management Program Plans

• Plans are living documents

• Planning is an ongoing process, not just writing
  the plans to be put on a shelf

• Planning should be a team effort

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Various Types of Plans for an Emergency
Management Program

• Some key plans are

• ? Mitigation plans
• Emergency response plans
• Recovery plans
• Public Awareness/Public Education plans
• Continuity of operations/Business continuity
  plans

• Other supporting plans may be

• Emergency information
• Hazard-specific plans

• Evacuation plans
• Telecommunications plans

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Business Continuity Planning

• Continuity of Operations/Business Continuity
  Program is an ongoing process supported by senior
  management

• Purpose is to ensure that necessary steps are
  taken to

• Identify the impact of potential losses
• Maintain viable recovery strategies and recovery
  plans
• Ensure continuity of services through

• Staff training
• Plan testing
• Maintenance

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Emergency Operations Centre
2

• Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is a facility
  where the Community Control Group or a Ministry
  Action Group assembles to manage an emergency
• EOC is a requirement under the Emergency
  Management Act
• Communities/Ministries should have a primary and
  an alternate location for the EOC

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Training
3

• Community-based Training
• Communities/Ministries are required to provide
  annual emergency management training to their
  staff
• Training is an important element of building
  emergency response capability
• If an actual emergency happens, people should
  know what they are supposed to do and whom they
  will be working with as a group
• Basic Emergency Management course is an example
  of a course that is delivered by communities
• EMOs new video for CCG training is now available

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Exercises
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• What is an exercise?
• A focused practice activity that places
  participants in a simulated situation requiring
  them to function in the capacity that would be
  expected of them in a real event

• Communities/Ministries are required to conduct
  annual exercises
• Communities/Ministries should develop an exercise
  program

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Exercises

• Should be based on the hazards and risks
  identified through HIRA
• Can be designed to test equipment, evaluate
  plans, or facilitate training
• Ensure that a plans elements are realistic and
  effective
• Ensure that the plan remains a living document
  and is supported by the annual exercising,
  reporting and plan revision
• Create interest, especially with the media
• Remember that we exercise the plan, not the
  people

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Developing an Exercise Program

• Exercise programs involve long-term planning
• Consider the need for involvement from many
  groups

• Police/fire/EMS
• Media
• Industry

• Upper/lower tier municipalities
• Provincial/federal agencies
• Conservation authorities

• Progress from simple to more complex exercises

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Exercise Safety

• Advance notice is needed so that the exercise is
  not confused with a real event
• Each telephone call or message should start and
  end with This is an exercise
• All documents produced or distributed should have
  This is an exercise printed clearly on them
• No duff is used when information pertaining to
  a REAL emergency must be communicated during an
  exercise
• Physical safety of participants is critical
• Safety needs depend on the type of exercise

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After Any Exercise

• Hold a hotwash de-briefing (evaluation)
• What went well?
• What have we learned?
• What will we do next time to improve?
• Write a report shortly after the exercise
• Make the report and de-briefing a positive
  experience for participants
• Use the exercise to update your emergency
  management program (e.g., plans, procedures,
  resource deployment)

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Emergency Information
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• Emergency Information is the communication of
  information to the public in order to protect
  their health, safety, welfare and property
• Emergency Information is a required part of an
  emergency response plan
• Emergency Information
• Is usually directed to the media for the public
• Contributes to a well managed emergency
• May be delivered as advisories, bulletins or
  warnings

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Public Awareness and Public Education
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• Provides information about emergency management,
  to suggest ways to reduce the risk of loss of
  life and property damage in the event of an
  emergency
• Enhances public willingness to follow
  instructions from authorities during an emergency
• Provides opportunities for public consultation
  during the planning process
• Secures public participation in exercises

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Public Awareness

• Provides generic information to the broader
  public to raise awareness
• Not targeted to a specific audience
• For example, you might ask people to be aware of
  whether they live in Tornado Alley

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Public Education

• Provides focused information to a target audience
  to educate about protective actions to reduce the
  risk of life and property damage, in the event of
  an emergency

• For example, you might ask people who do live in
  Tornado Alley
• Do you know what to do before, during and
  after the impact of a tornado in your community?

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Public Awareness

• Emergency Survival Checklist

• Flashlight and batteries
• Radio, batteries/crank radio
• Spare batteries
•  First-aid kit
• Candles and matches/lighter
• Extra car keys and cash
• Important papers
• Food and bottled water

• Clothing and footwear
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Toilet paper and other personal items
• Medication
• Backpack/duffel bag
• Whistle
• Playing cards, games

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Pillars of Preparedness
EMERGENCY PLANS
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE
TRAINING
EXERCISES
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
PUBLIC AWARENESS PUBLIC EDUCATION
THE FOUNDATION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS HIRA
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Lesson Summary

• Preparedness is actions taken prior to an
  emergency or disaster to ensure an effective
  response
• Preparedness includes emergency plans,
  maintaining an Emergency Operations Centre,
  training, exercises, emergency information,
  public awareness and public education
• HIRA should be the foundation of the preparedness
  component of an emergency management program

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Preparedness
QUESTIONS?