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Archived Content Contenu archivé 551.5.c2...management planning, the responsibilities of the Civil Defence Branch which, in turn, ceased to exist. Order-in-Council P.C. 1963-993 of
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Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.
Contenu archivé
L’information dont il est indiqué qu’elle est archivée est fournie à des fins de référence, de recherche ou de tenue de documents. Elle n’est pas assujettie aux normes Web du gouvernement du Canada et elle n’a pas été modifiée ou mise à jour depuis son archivage. Pour obtenir cette information dans un autre format, veuillez communiquer avec nous.
This document is archival in nature and is intended for those who wish to consult archival documents made available from the collection of Public Safety Canada. Some of these documents are available in only one official language. Translation, to be provided by Public Safety Canada, is available upon request.
Le présent document a une valeur archivistique et fait partie des documents d’archives rendus disponibles par Sécurité publique Canada à ceux qui souhaitent consulter ces documents issus de sa collection. Certains de ces documents ne sont disponibles que dans une langue officielle. Sécurité publique Canada fournira une traduction sur demande.
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HV 551.5 .C2 C60 1960
Canada Emergency
Me asures Organization
OTTAWA
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CIVIL EMERGENCY PLANNING RESUME
Legislation
Objectives
Federal Departments
Organization
Provincial Planning
Historical
LIBRARY BIBLIOTHEQUE
EMERGENCY PLANNING CANADA
PLANIFICATION D'URGENCE CANADA
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
Public Information Planning Division
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CIVIL EMERGENCY PLANNING (Civil Defence)
The Emergency Measures Organization was established within the Privy
Council Office on June 1, 1957, for.the purpose of planning for the
provision of government leadership, services and resource managementin an emergency, and to ensure a Canadian contribution to NATO civil
emergency planning.
On May 28, 1959, a Canadian federal government order placed the
Emergency Measures Organization under the Prime Minister and definedthe civil defence responsibilities of National Defence, National Healthand Welfare and Justice Departments. Under this order, the EmergencyMeasures Organization assumed, in addition to its government and resource
management planning, the responsibilities of the Civil Defence Branch
which, in turn, ceased to exist.
Order-in-Council P.C. 1963-993 of June 27, 1963, transferred responsibilityfor the Emergency Measures Organization, to the Minister of Defence
Production. Two years later Order-in-Council P.C. 1965-1041 approved theCivil Emergency Measures Planning Order which in addition to defining theresponsibilities of various federal departments and agencies, placed theorganization under the Minister of Industry. By Government directive of1966 the Minister of Industry was delegated responsibility for makingcoordinated plans for peacetime emergencies, and for providing andcoordinating the initial federal response to any peacetime situation,whether the federal government was involved directly or called uponby provinces or municipalities for assistance.
The 1965 Order-in-Council was amended in 1968 by P.C. Orders 1968-1302and 1968-1508 which transferred responsibility for civil emergency
planning from the Min:tster of Industry to the Minister of National
Defence.
Under the Minister of National Defence, the Canada Emergency•MeasuresOrganization is the federal coordinating agency for civil emergency
planning.
The objective of the Civil Emergency is to develop plans and activitieswhich will enable the nation to survive and recover from war emergencies
and peacetime disasters. The development of these plans can be summarized
under five main headings:
Emer ency Measures (Peace) - The study and analysis of theeffect of peacetime emergencies on the social, political andeconomic structures of Canada; the devising of measures toavert or mitigate the effects of peacetime emergencies and
Copyright of this document does not belong to the Crown.Proper authorization must be obtained from the author forany intended use
Les droits d'auteur du présent document n'appartiennentpas à l'État. Toute utilisation du contenu du présentdocument doit être approuvée préalablement par l'auteur.
the promulgation of advice and guidance on these matters; the development and implementation of emergency measures at the federal level where these are not the statutory responsibility of other departments or agencies; and the coordination of federal assistance either requested by provincial governments or in support of a federal department having statutory responsibility.
• Emergency Measures (War) - The study and analysis of the effects and implications of war.upon the social, political and economic structure of Canada; the devising of plans and preparations to counter the effects of war; the negotiation with federal departments and agencies and with provincial authorities for their participation in such plans and preparations; and the subsequent coordination of the development of resulting emergency measures. Provides for the general administration and management of the program.
• Financial Support - The provision for contributions to provinces to defray part of the cost of approved civil emergency measures projects undertaken by provinces and municipalities in accordance with terms and conditions established each year with Treasury Board; to monitor, analyse and evaluate the progress of the federal, provincial and municipal civil emergency measures program.
• Emergency Programs - The support to, and implementation of, plans to provide for and to test emergency preparations for war and peace to meet federal, provincial/municipal requirements.
• International - With the concurrence of the Secretary of State for External Affairs the primary responsibility for general liaison and development of compatable measures with other nations for war emergencies by participation in NATO civil defence meetings and United States/Canada planning arrangements.
Federal Departments
The Civil Emergency Measures Planning Order of 1965'also defines the civil emergency powers, duties and functions of the ministers of federal departments and agencies having inmediate responsibilities in the event of a war emergency. Included in this category are the Departments of Agriculture, Supplies and Services, External Affairs, Finance, Fisheries, Justice, Labour, Manpower and Immigration, National Defence, National Health and Welfare, Post Office, Public Works, Solicitor General,
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Transport; and the Bank of Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Under the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act some of these powers, duties and functions are transferred to other ministers, notably Environment and Communications.
Organization
The general federal organization for civil emergency planning consists of •a Cabinet Committee on External Policy and Defence; the Canada Emergency Measures Organization comprised of the National Coordinator, Civil Emergency Measures and Canada EMO headquarters staff; Regional Directors in each Province and the Canadian Emergency Measures College at Arnprior, Ontario; federal government departmental planning staffs; federal government organizations in the provinces.
The headquarters of the Canada Emergency Measures Organization is located in Ottawa. The National Coordinator reports to government through the Minister of National Defence. A regional office is located in the capital city of each province and for planning purposes each region corresponds to its respective provincial boundaries. Coordination of federal planning responsibility for the Yukon and the Northwest Territories is carried out from the regional office in Edmonton, Alberta.
Canada EMO has been organized into three major functional branches: the Programs and Operations Branch, the Plans Branch and the National Training, Development and Exercises Branch.
Within the Programs and Operations Branch are divisions responsible for national program development, national program evaluation, continuity of government, public fallout protection, emergency public information planning and road transport planning.
The Plans Branch is comprised of divisions responsible for economic planning, operational concepts and procedures, physical protection planning, radiological biological and chemical defence planning, organization system planning, international civil emergency planning and emergency incident investigation.
The National Training, Development and Exercises Branch is responsible for training development, national exercise planning, supervision of the Canadian Emergency Measures College and the provision of coordinated leadership training assistance to all levels of government and related civilian agencies.
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Federal Regional Directors in Provinces
Regional Directors of Canada Emergency Measures Organization in each province (region) have been assigned responsibility for representing
• Canada EMO in the region for all civil emergency planning purposes and the establishment and maintenance of effective liaison with the provincial emergency plans, including those of local organizations, and in major peacetime disasters to assist in the Canada EMO review bf requests for financial aid from the province or municipalities within the region.
Provincial Government Civil Emergency Planning Responsibilities
Provincial governments will make such preparations as are required to enable them to execute the following civil emergency powers, duties and functions in war:
• the development of policies and a program to ensure the continuity of provincial government in an emergency.
• the preservation of law and order, including control of traffic;
• the organization and control of emergency welfare services including.emergency clothing, lodging, feeding, registration and enquiry, and personal services;
• the organization and control of health and medical services, including hospitals and public health measures;
• maintenance and repair of roads and road bridges;
coordination of muniCipal and other services for the maintenance and repair of water and sewage systems;
• organization and operation of firefighting services;
• maintenance and repair of electrical and gas utilities;
• organization and operation of radiological defence services;
• communications within the province;
• coordination and, as may be required, direction of emergency operations of municipal governments;
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. the conduct of survival operations with the assistanceof the Canadian Forces, if required and available;
. in accordance with agreements reached with the federaldepartments and agencies concerned control of accommodation,control of engineering and construction resources, provisionof emergency housing and arrangements for roads and roadbridges; control of road transport resources; maintenanceof agriculture production and the control of fisheries.
In addition, provincial governments in peacetime will be responsiblefor assigning to each municipal government its operational roles;
providing assistance and guidance to municipal governments in respect
of the preparation of municipal civil emergency plans for the continued
operations of municipal government, survival of the public and theoperation of municipal emergency serv^.ces, including the organization
and operation of such special emergency services as may be required
such as rescue, warden, emergency communications, emergency public
information, radiological defence and emergency transportation;assistance and guidance to municipal governments in the training and
exercising of regular municipal employees and volunteers as emergencyworkers; making such preparations or arrangements as are required to
provide for the protedtion of the population of those parts of theprovince which are not administered by an incorporated municipal
government.
History
The first organization formed in 1938 for the defence of Canada's
civilian population, Air Raid Precautions, was responsible only toone department of the federal Government. Since then, civil defence
provisions have changed with the times. By the 1960's the Canada
Emergency Measures Organization had been established to coordinatethe machinery of government departments at all levels in adapting to
the demands of war or of peacetime disaster.
Air Raid Precautions. As early as 1936 the Government and armed forces
discussed plans for civil defence. In 1938 the Air Raid Precautions
Committee was formed, under chairmanship of the Deputy Minister of theDepartment of Pensions and National Health and as a responsibility of
that Department.
Basically, the ARP program was designed to organize a warning system,to set up and enforce lighting restrictions at plants and other vulnerableareas, to prepare a system of protection from high explosive, incendiary
and gas bombs and to establish an organization for the treatment of
casualties. Rescue parties were to be organized, plans were laid for the
maintenance of essential public services during an emergency, dispersalplans for large centres of population were prepared and machinery was
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organized to inform the public on ARP matters. The central ARP Committee recommended that handbooks should be prepared for the use of local authorities and volunteers and that the Department of Pensions and National Health, working with municipalities through the provincial governments, should be made responsible for air-raid precautions. The federal Government was to bear the expense of producing gas masks, handbooks and decontamination materials, and the cost of training instructors.
Up to the end of 1938, ARP activity was limited to behind-the-scenes planning. With the onset of war in 1939, provincial and municipal authorities were brought in and by the end of 1941 it was estimated that of the 2,500,000 people living in areas considered vulnerable to enemy attack, approximately 1 in 27 was an ARP worker and 1 in 102 an air-raid warden. ARP organizations were formed in all except the Prairie Provinces, providing specialized training and making first-aid and firefighting equipment available.
The ARP organization began to disband late in 1943 and by late 1945 the movement had virtually terminated, except in B.C. where Japanese balloon bombs were still considered a menace. In the six years of its existence, ARP had organized approximately 775 communities and had reached a strength of about 280,000 people. Eight cities and some provinces had full-time directors but most of the tasks were performed by unpaid volunteers.
Civil Defence. In November 1948, a national civil defence coordinator was appointed to carry out basic planning activities and in August 1950 the structure of a new civilian defence organization, to be known as Civil Defence, was developed at a meeting between the federal minister of national defence and ministerial delegates from the provinces. An advisory committee was organized and the federal minister was designated chairman. The general aims of Civil Defence were basically the same as those of its ARP predecessor, centering on local organizations, with the role of the federal Government largely that of a guiding, directing and coordinating agency. The federal Government'assumed responsibility for the provision of an advance warning system, in co-operation with the provincial and local authorities. It also agreed to supply warning devices to the municipalities that formed part of civil lefence target areas. The central Government also entered into financial agreement with the provinces concerning standardization of hose couplings, provision of radiological and technical instruments, training equipment, medical supplies, training aids and manuals. It agreed to provide special courses for civil defence matters, a civil defence school, and to maintain liaison with the United States and other foreign civil defence organizations.
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In 1951 the federal organization came under the authority of the Ministerof National Health and Welfare. It was directed by a federal civil-defence coordinator, Major-General F.F. Worthington*, acting in anadvisory capacity to the minister. The staff of the federal Civil Defenceoffice was sub-divided to set up sections responsible for operationsand training, administration and supply, health and welfare planning,communications and transportation, research and development, publicinformation and organization of members of the federal civil service.
In order to train skilled instructors in all aspects of civil defenceactivities, the federal authority set up the Canadian Civil Defence
College at Arnprior, Ont., in January 1954. Previous to this, traininghad been carried out in temporary quarters near Ottawa. The facilitiesof the Joint Atomic, Biological and Chemical Warfare School at Camp
Borden were also utilized. Candidates from provincial and local civil
defence organizations were provided with advance instruction in tactics,
administration, firefighting, rescue, radiation monitoring, health andwelfare training, warden services and information services. The college
was also used for tactical studies by provincial and municipal civil
defence officials, and as the federal control centre in nation-wide
civil defence exercises.
At the beginning of the program in 1951, emphasis was placed on organizingtarget areas for self-defence. With the development of the H-bomb however,an increasing amount of attention was directed to setting up strongorganizations in communities surrounding target areas. This development.was in line with a civil defence policy advocating evacuation of targetareas rather than a policy of taking shelter during attack.
In 1957 the Emergency Measures Organization was established•as anorganization of the Privy Council Office, with general responsibility tothe development of programs directed toward the survival of Canada as anation. At that time matters more directly related to the survival ofthe population were still the concern of the federal Civil Défenceheadquarters. Subsequent rearrangement of civil emergency planningresponsibilities within the federal Government and agreements resultingfrom the 1959 and 1965 Dominion-Provincial Conferences on civil defencearrangements led to the Civil Emergency Planning Order of June 1965.
*Deceased.
July 1973.
. WHAT IS EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION? re e
cr e'S Emergency Measures is not a separate function set apart
from the normal responsibilities of government. On the
contrary, Emergency Measures operations occur whenever a local
government responds to any extraordinary emergency - such as
a tornado, forest fire, hurricane, earthquake, flood or other
natural disaster; a major explosion or accident, or the release
of radioactive materials or toxic chemicals; or an unusual
peacetime emergency such as a civil disorder. Emergency Measures
operations would also be required should the most massive emergency
of all occur -- a nuclear attack on Canada.
Extraordinary emergencies are those situations in which a
local government must be able to coordinate and direct the operations
of many or all of the emergency forces that are available in the
community. Existing local government forces form the nucleus of
preparedness, around which doctors and hospital staffs, the news
media, industry, volunteers and other groups organize. It is the
need for COORDINATED emergency operations, involving all governmental
and nongovernmental groups with the capacity to help save lives or
minimize damage, that distinguishes extraordinary emergencies from
the emergencies that local fire and police forces, or hospitals and
doctors, deal with every day.
EMO is not a special unit or group of people, standing by to
save the day in case of a major disaster. Local police, fire and
other forces may need some trained auxiliaries to support the
regular force in disaster operations. Some additional trained
people may be needed in case of attack emergencies, to monitor
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radioactive fallout with special instruments, or to serve as
fallout shelter managers. But the forces responsible for emergency
measures are the normal forces of government, with any trained
auxiliaries -- plus nongovernment personnel with needed skills,
such as doctors.
Emergency Measures has been called, " government acting in
a period of ektraordinary emergency," but it is more than that.
Local government forces do provide the core, but many nongovernmental
forces and groups must also be involved, and the operations of all
these groups must be coordinated effectively if an emergency occurs.
THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY MEASURES EMERGENCY READINESS
"Emergency readiness"--or disaster preparedness-- means that
a iurisdiction is prepared to respond promptly to save life and
protect property if it is threatened or hit by an emergency of any
type, utilizing all available resources. This requires that
planning be done and preparedness actions be taken before there is
an emergency.
If a hurricane or flood threatens, entire communities may
need to be evacuated, and people fed and housed until the danger is
over. A massive effort may be needed to strengthen dikes
when a river is rising to flood stage. If a tornado or earthquake
hits, the damaged area must be searched for injured people, and the
injured given first aid and then professional medical attention as
promptly as possible; the homeless must be fed and housed. If a
plane crashes into a town or an explosion occurs or a large
building collapses, there are usually problems of getting fire and
medical units into the damaged area, and of keeping curious spectators
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The same types of emergency operations, but on an even
larger scale, would be required if Canada should ever suffer an
enemy attack, and there would be the added need to see that the
people were sheltered against the radioactive fallout produced
by nuclear weapons.
The whole concept of emergency readiness can be summed up
by saying that the forces of government--and all others with
emergency missions--must be able to "do the right things at the
right time," when the chips are down. This includes the ability
of key executives to coordinate the operations of police forces,
fire forces, ambulances, hospitals, medical personnel, radio and
television stations, and all other people and units able to
help citizens under conditions of extraordinary emergency.
THE NEED FOR COORDINATION AND DIRECTION BY KEY EXECUTIVES
At times there have been larger-scale emergencies in which
eacn individual department did its job well, but was unaware of
all the problems to be faced--and the instructions issued--by
other departments. For example, during a large-scale fire emergency
the water department issued a call to the citizens to hold the use
of water to an absolute minimum, so that water pressure could be '
kept up for the fire departments. At the same time, however, fire
officials were on television instructing citizens to wet down their
roofs with garden hoses.
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What was lacking was coordination, the "left hand not
knowing what the right hand was doing." Newspaper comments by
local officials, after such a disaster, have included statements
like this: "What happened is simple to describe. The various
departments each went their separate way with no one pulling them
together. People have given little thought to the mechanics of
disaster response." Or, "The city and county agencies were on
different wave lengths. They were all doing their job, but they
weren't talking together. There is no excuse for the absence of
communications and coordination." Poorly coordinated operations
can lead to the loss of lives that might have been saved, or the
destruction of property that might have been preserved.
Thi^s coordination can only be provided by key personnel,
who know what needs to be done and what is being done to meet
the emergency, and who are directing all of the forces available.
These key people may include the mayor/warden, the chief of police,
the fire chief, the health officer or a doctor in charge of
medical operations, and the local emergency measures Director/
Coordinator.
Should a major emergency threaten or strike, the official in
charge or command is the official who is always in charge--the
mayor/warden, who is responsible for policy-level decisions. The
chief of police, fire chief, and other department heads command
the operations of their forces. Ho_spital and medical personnel,
and local news media staffs, perform their emergency functions in
cooperation and coordination with the operations of government
forces.
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ROLE OF THE EMERGENCY MEASURES DIRECTOR/COORDINATOR
The role of the emergency measures Director/Coordinator is
crucial, but is not that of a "Commander" or director of operating
forces. During emergencies, the emergency measures Director/
Coordinator acts as principal aide or adviser to the Mayor/Warden.
His major responsibility is to assure coordination among the
ope-rating departments of government, with nongovernmental groups
such as hospitals and medical professionals, and with higher and
adjacent governments.
This coordinating role of the emergency measures Director/
Coordinator is sometimes misunderstood. Some chiefs of police,
fire chiefs, or other department heads--and some Mayors/Wardens
have had the impression that the job of the emergency measures
Director/Coordinator is in some way to "take over," and direct
the operations of government and other forces dealing with an
emergency.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. The emergency role
of the local emergency measures Director/Coordinator is to assist
governments in conducting coordinated operations. And his role in
nonemergency periods is to take the lead in the community-wide
planning and other preparations needed to assure that the jurisidiction
will be able to conduct coordinated operations should an emergency
occur.
OUTLINE OF EMERGENCY READINESS REQUIREMENTS
The primary requirements for emergency rea4liness are outlined
below, and discussed in somewhat more detail in the Standards that
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1. A control center--or Emergency Operating Centre-- where key people can direct and control emergency operations. The mayor, chief of police, fire chief, emergency measures Director/Coordinator, and others at this EOC will have the same information on the emergency situation, and they will be able to coordinate decisions more rapidly by being face-to-face. The "left hand will know what the right hand is doing." The Emergency Operating Center must have means of communicating with all operating forces, with other levels of government, and with the public.
2. Government executives and community leaders must do specific planning before an emergency on which forces will do what, if the community is threatened or hit by various types of emergencies. They must also test and practice these plans in exercises that simulate different kinds of emergencies or disasters, in which these key leaders will be the community's top decision makers.
3. The community's leadership must be ready to give emergency instructions and information to their citizens, through radio or television stations or newspapers. People must be told practical things that they should or shouldn't do when an emergency threatens or has occurred. They need and seek instructions so that they may avoid injury to themselves and their families, and minimize damage to their houses and other property. Don't be misled by the widespread but erroneous idea that people are apt to "panic" in a threatening or dangerous situation. This hardly ever happens. People wan t . to get solid, down-to-earth, and practical advice from their government officials.
4. Training is usually necessary to increase the emergency capabilities of both governmental and supporting nongovernmental personnel: In addition, certain hardware (facilities or equipment) may need to be secured or developed, to put the jurisdiction in position to respond effectively if an emergency strikes.
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DAY-TO-DAY BENEFITS FROM DEVELOPING EMERGENCY READINESS
Many benefits to the day-to-day operations of government
result from the development of emergency capabilities. These
benefits are a bonus, over and above increased readiness tà deal
with a major peacetime or attack emergency.
A number of city managers and mayors have reported that .
the interdepartmental planning and exercising needed for emergency
readiness also results in improved interdepartmental coordination
in the conduct of day-to-day business. Emergency planning reqUires
a cooperative effort on a team basis, and simulated disaster
exercises bring key people together to deal with unusual
problems and demands, also on a team, coordinated basis.
In carrying out their daily work and programs--maintaining
law and order, building and operating street or water systems,
fighting fires--heads of departments and their staffs have
relatively little occasion to work closely together on common
problems. . Thus, the departments tend to go their own way, under
the pressure of their daily problems, and may fail to develop
the relationships with other departments that are helpful in many
aspects of the day-to-day business of government..
The team effort essential for emergency planning and preparedness
is often the only area in which close interdepartmental cooperation
and work is required, and this cooperative effort has a carryover
into day-to-day work. While it is an intangible, the inter
departmental relationships developed by emergency planning and
readiness work are of real value, in the judgment of many city
managers and mayors.
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Many other, more tangible, benefits also accrue to governments
as a result of developing capabilities and readiness for emergencies.
For example, developing emergency communications nets and capabilities
often suggests ways to improve day-to-day communications systems.
Preparations for emergencies can include developing communications
and procedures needed for improved ambulance dispatching, or
establishing a "911" telephone-number system for use in lesser as
well as major emergencies.
The local Emergency Operating Center often can (and where possible
should) be used for day-to-day functions, such as dispatching police
or fire forces.
Actions to increase emergency measures can also include
securing additional firefighting apparatus, rescue vehicles, or
ambulance. If a group of auxiliary police personnel is trained
by the local law enforcement agency, they may be used to assist and
support the regular police force in controlling traffic at events
attracting large numbers of people.
Developing emergency capabilities can thus result in many
tangible and intangible benefits to the day-to-day operations of
government, as well as paying off in lives saved and property
preserved should an emergency sL-rike.
Lmergency Measures Directors/Coordinators, as disaster
specialists, can help in many of the areas rioted above, working
closely with department heads and the Mayor/Warden.
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ROLE OF THE MAYOR/WARDEN
The Standards that follow outline the things jurisdictions
should do to develop the emergency measures their citizens need,
and discuss in more detail the role of the emergency measures
Director/Coordinator. This individual works for and on behalf of
the Mayor/Warden, in developing emergency readiness.
It is essential to have the services of a competent,
One of the stated purposes of E.M.0./Civil Defence on the Federal and Pro-vincial levels is to promote and nurture the development of an optimum capability to meet and deal with disaster and emergency situations at the local level.
What is an optimum capability and when is a community, as well as possible, prepared to meet disasters and civil emergencies?
According to reports from people doing disaster research and from those who have had practical disaster experience, the basic requirements for a reasonable level of emergency preparedness are as follows:
I. Identify all potential disaster situations in the community. 2. Identify and inventory all available resources in the community, i.e., equip-
ment, supplies, facilities, and human resources. 3. Assess the situation and list all foreseeable needs. 4. Prepare definite and functional plans for the most efficient and effective use
of resources in time of emergency. 5. Determine where and how to get outside help quickly in the event that the
demands of an emergency situation exceed the capability of available local resources. 6. Assign emergency responsibilities to specific positions or functions. 7. Establish definite rules of procedure for all those with emergency responsi-
bilities. 8. Establish proper lines of authority for emergency operations. 9. Establish a line of succession for the senior executive and key personnel,
i.e., Mayor, Council, manager, and department and agency heads. 10. Arrange for any necessary training of officials and personnel with emer-
gency responsibilities. 11. Enlist and train volunteer auxiliaries for all potential personnel deficiencies. 12. Arrange for auxiliary equipment and emergency supplies in vital areas,
e.g., power, communications, medical. 13. Exercise the emergency plans and procedures to assure their practicability. 14. Publicize the plans and procedures so that the resident public will know
what is expected of them and what they can expect of their local government in time of emergency.
These Fourteen Steps to Readiness are sound and practical. How does your community measure up against this criterion?