Government of Alberta Alberta Emergency Management Agency Role of AEMA at the Provincial Operations Centre Kelly Stewardson Senior Emergency Management.

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Role of AEMA at the Provincial Operations Centre

Kelly StewardsonSenior Emergency Management Officer

ESSNA 2014Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyUnprecedented disasters

2011 Slave lake fire

Southern Alberta flood

Unfortunately only 2 of the threats we face

While Alberta is very stable

Severe thunder and hail storms, tornados, river flooding, petro-chemical releases and public health emergencies are just a few of the risks we plan and prepare for every day.

And while planning and preparation

Providing necessities of life to the oft.

This morning I will provide you with a framework of what the Alberta Emergency1

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyLets face it. This is often how people view the government and their involvement in emergencies. But, let me be the first to tell you.we are people just like you. We want the best for those affected We want them safe and cared for if they are displaced, and we want them back in their homes as soon as possible. So, lets talk about how we do that, from an AEMA perspective.2AgendaCanadian EM Framework

Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA)

Provincial Operations BranchField OperationsAlberta Emergency Alert (AEA) and 911 Grant Program Central OperationsProvincial Operations Centre (POC)

When to call

SummaryGovernment of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management Agencyunderstand what AEMA does at the POC,

first understand what AEMA is and how it operates within government,

POC is and how it operates. 3Emergency Management Framework in CanadaIndividual / Family

Communities Mutual Aid

Province / Territory

Federal Government

Field OfficersPOCGovernment of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management Agencytiered approach.

Individuals and Families risk analysis and to develop family emergency plans. self sufficient for up to 72 hours, since resource constraints

Ever in doubt about the need to prepare, Buffalo

communities are required to develop plans and the capability to respond to incidents in their areas. local authorities in Albertas communities are responsible for managing the first response to an this event.(Animation 1) When an emergency event exceeds the capabilities of a municipal response, the Government of Alberta supports

(Animation 2) And finally, when provincial resources are insufficient or when specialized capabilities province from the federal government, or internationally, mutual aid agreements.

4Public Safety GovernanceOrganizational Roles: Responsibility assigned in legislation, regulations, policies and hazard plans

Lead Organization identified as lead for a specific hazard Supporting Organization assists in the management of a hazard Coordinating Organization coordinates the efforts and logistics of all orders of government and public safety partners

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyWhat is Public Safety? Public safety is the prevention and mitigation of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from man-made or natural hazards that could cause significant injury or harm to Albertans, their property, the environment and the economy Public safety addresses those hazards that disrupt routine community functioning and require a rapid and coordinated provincial response Addresses all-hazards and is a shared responsibility amongst partners Public Safety Governance states that the GOA must establish organizational roles as soon as possible during an event.To coordinate each ministries response, a consequence management officer will be responsible for representing their ministry at the POC. Ideally, a CMO has the authority to make decisions for the ministry without having to make a phone call first, making coordination quick and seamless.5

CommunitiesFederal, Provincial, Territorial PartnersNon-Government Organizations CouncilAEMAGovernment MinistriesAgencies, Boards and AssociationsGovernment of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyThe public expects government to be collaborative and well coordinated no matter what scale of event is being managed.A strong public safety governance framework enables properly integrated lead, support and coordination functions based on the principle of lead by legislation. As mandated by the Government Emergency Management Regulation and the Emergency Management Act, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency acts as this hub, providing coordination and a common point of contact for the many players in the emergency management industry.So, that all sounds pretty and flowery, but what is the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, and what do we do?

6Alberta Emergency Management Agency

Mission

Together with our partners and through a coordinated, all hazards approach, we will provide strong leadership to Albertas Public Safety System to protect Albertans from the effects of disasters and emergencies.

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyAs part of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) leads the coordination, collaboration and co-operation of all organizations involved in the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery for disasters and emergencies. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking that I pulled off that wonderful, government inspired alliteration seamlessly. Impressive I know SO here it is again in case you missed it.. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) leads the coordination, collaboration and co-operation of all organizations involved in the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery for disasters and emergencies. These organizations include government, industry, and communities and this coordination ensures the efficient delivery of vital services during a crisis. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency is accountable and responsible to Albertans and their communities for the protection of people, their property and the environment from the effects of emergency events.7Alberta Emergency Management AgencyConsists of:

Public Safety Initiatives BranchRecovery Programs BranchProvincial Operations BranchField OperationsCentral OperationsAlberta Emergency Alert and 911 Grant ProgramGovernment of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyAEMA has 3 branches, each with its own focus.

Public Safety Initiative Branch is focused on measures to mitigate a disaster and reduce its impact, Recovery Programs

Branch is focused rebuilding to functional conditions after a disaster,

the Provincial Operations Branch, is responsible for operations during an event. further 3 units, (animation 1) Field Operations, (animation 2) Central Operations, and (animation 3) Alberta Emergency Alert and 911 Grant Program. Each of these units plays a key role during an event that causes concern to the Government of Alberta. 8Field Operations

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyField Operations is the public face of AEMA. When disaster strikes, Field Officers are the primary point of contact for communities throughout the province and are trained to provide advice and guidance to municipal Directors of Emergency Management.They liaise between the POC and Communities during events and provide detailed situation reports to the POCDeliver Training and emergency expertise to Municipal Elected OfficialsField Officers also assist communities when the need to declare a State of Local Emergency or issue an Alberta Emergency Alert occurs.

9Field Operations

31,000 kms of Highway

Cities 17

Towns 108

Villages 95

Summer Villages 51

Municipal Districts 64

Reserves - 45Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyAs you can see on this slide our field officers are very, very busy. The 18 Field Officers are located throughout the province in 7 geographic regions and 3 First Nation Regions. Due the size of the province and the resulting distance between the communities, AEMA Field Officers have travelled over 650,000 kms so far this year, on Alberta roads, in service to Albertans. During the 2013 floods we had approximately a dozen Field Officers deployed to southern Alberta. I know, 12 of 18 doesnt sound like very many, but in 2013 we only had 9 Field Officers, not 18, in a tremendous show of dedication to Albertans, a few came out of retirement to provide assistance.10Stop Listen Respond

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyThe Alberta Emergency Alert Unit, as the name implies, is responsible for the province-wide emergency notification system. This system can reach the 4.1 million Albertans in every corner of the province to warn of occurring or impending emergencies. Emergency Management personnel in communities throughout the province have the ability to issue alerts directly to ensure accurate and expedient messaging.11Types of AlertsCritical Alerts

Information Alerts

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyCritical Alerts are issued for instances where life and safety are under immediate threat and time is of the essence. These alerts interrupt radio and television broadcasts and go to all available mediums, such as Facebook, Twitter, email, RSS Feeds etc.Examples of situations that may warrant a critical alert are:Wildfire, flash flood, tornado, loss of 911 service, or any other issue that may endanger peoples lives.An Information Alert can be issued when life and safety are NOT under an immediate threat, but citizens need to be aware of a situation in their area. These alerts are emailed or posted on the AEA webpage. Boil water advisories, road closures, severe weather events such as rainfall, thunderstorm or snowfall warnings, and air quality advisories are some of the examples of Information Alerts.

12Participating Distributors

All major distributors mandated by federal legislation to be online by 31 Mar 15

TV, RadioIncludes French broadcastersSome sign companies

Now linked to the GOA @ www.gov.ab.ca and Alberta 511 @ http://511.alberta.ca/ Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyCommunities may utilize the system to tailor messages with specific instructions for targeted areas. Targeted messaging ensures that a Critical Alert for the City of Calgary does not interrupt the routines in areas not affected by the event. Field Officers, the POC Duty Officers or AEA staff can assist emergency management personnel when crafting messages during an event to ensure the appropriate wording is used and the correct level of alert is issued for the correct area.

Alerts issued are distributed by all major radio and television companies in the province.13

http://www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca/Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyAEA has had more than 84 million hits to its website in 2014 and averages over 1500 unique visitors per day. There are more than 122,000 Facebook and Twitter followers and more than 20,000 mobile app users.AEA is monitored 24/7 by Provincial Duty Officers in the POC, as well as an on-call AEA staff member, who are trained and authorized to provide assistance with technical or operational issues.14911 Grant Program

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyNone of us can predict when an emergency is going to happen. But when it does, we all depend on 911 operators to pick up the line when we dial those three numbers. Today, 911 call centres in Alberta are facing serious challenges ranging from declining funding, spiking call volumes and the affordability of new technology. The new Emergency 911 Act helps address these challenges. The government will work with stakeholders to create province-wide standards, processes and procedures for 911 call taking. This will ensure consistent service delivery across the province. Better legal protection for 911 operators will help them maintain their focus on serving Albertans.911 call centres need support as they look for ways to introduce new technology. In the future someone who is speech or hearing impaired willbe able to text with 911, and a 911 operator could use GPS to pinpoint the location of someone who fainted during a 911 call.

15Central OperationsComprised of:

Plans UnitProvincial Operations Centre

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyThe Central Operations Unit conducts the day to day business of monitoring, collecting, analyzing and disseminating data relevant to emergency management in the province of Alberta.

Central Operations is home to the Plans Unit, which develops, reviews and implements hazard specific response plans for the government of Alberta, manages the GOA business continuity program, and provides the core of the Plans Section during POC activation.The Provincial Operations Centre also falls under the Director of Central Operations.

16Provincial Operations Centre (POC)

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyEverything you have heard about thus far leads to the Provincial Operations Centre. I know you are just dying to ask What is this magical place you speak of? and How does it perform such incredible feats of coordination?is in Edmonton just 30 blocks north east of us, and serves as a communication and responsecoordination centrethat is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.ThePOC is a central point for the collection, evaluation and dissemination of information concerning a single incident or multiple incidents in the province of Alberta. ThePOC is responsible for coordinating the initial response and maintaining support for a response to a natural or human-induced disaster. Provincial Duty Officers provide 24/7, 365 monitoring of news, social media and any other medium available to them, for events that may impact Albertans. I can speak to this first hand as I had the pleasure of working Christmas Day last year! Fortunately for me, mother nature and Murphy too busy celebrating Christmas to cause havoc. You may be wondering why the province needs a 24/7 duty centre. Well, the first call for the 2013 floods was received just after midnight on 20 June 2013, the first State of Local Emergency was received shortly after 8 am, and by 1730 hrs that day 14 communities had declared a State of Local Emergency.17POC Operational LevelsLevel 4Mandatory full GOAcoordination for a significant incident

Level 3Mandatory coordination of key GOA organizations to respond to a significant incidentLevel 1Routine and potential incidents assessed and circulated to public safety partnersLevel 2Potential to be significant (disrupt community functioning)Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencySo what does that actually mean at the POC?The Provincial Operations Centre (POC) expands and contracts to meet the needs of the situation.(animation 1) Level 1 is considered routine operations, with Provincial Duty Officers monitoring the province for emergency situations 24/7, 365. Any incidents that may be ongoing are being resolved by local authorities.(animation 2) When a situation has occurred that has the potential to cause a significant disruption to a community, the POC adopts a Level 2 profile, where the routine duty staff are augmented by AEMA and lead organization key staff who monitor the situation more closely and develop contingency plans for government support to the community. An example of this was the Obed Mine water storage pit release into the Athabasca River in November of 2013, which resulted in many communities shutting down water plants until the plume had passed. This event required minimal GOA coordination from AEMA, ESRD, Alberta Health and AER.(Animation 3) At level 3, an incident like the Mackenzie County Wildfires in 2012 caused the evacuation of 324 Albertans. Key departments involved in the response to this event are called to the POC and coordinated by AEMA. Alberta Health, ESRD, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and Public Safety Canada were just a few of the key departments involved in the response for this event.(Animation 4)For the most severe incidents, such as the Slave Lake wildfires or the 2013 Flood, a Level 4 mandatory, full activation of the POC occurs. In this case all 19 ministries of the Alberta Government and Federal public safety partners such as DND, Public Safety Canada, RCMP, and Aboriginal Affairs staff the POC 24 hours a day until conclusion.18POC Organizational Structure

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyWhen a trigger event requires a level 3 or 4 activation, the POC is activated by the Managing Director or their designate. An automated notice is sent via email and or phone through the Provincial Stakeholder Notification System which alerts desired, or all CMOs, and requests their presence in the POC, within a specified timeframe. The POC can be fully activated with the majority of CMOs in place and ready to work in a very short period of time. During a work day, this can be under an hour. Having all ministries Consequence Management Officers under one roof allows for the face-to-face interactions required to expeditiously deal with issues as they arise.

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Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyTo illustrate a POC activation I will give you a very brief scenario:A call comes to the duty officers from a municipality that has an encroaching wildfire and that they are evacuating. (Animation 1)The Duty Officer compiles the information, conducts an analysis to include outside factors such as weather, geography, routes in/out, other communities in area affected, number of evacuees, etc.(Animation 2) An initial notification gets sent to the POC Manager and Director of Central Operations immediately. An Executive Alert is drafted and sent up the chain of command and the POC is activated. Once the notification has been sent the POC begins to fill with the smiling faces of CMOs. (Animation 3)Once the POC has been staffed, the planning team will create, execute and continuously re-assess the Initial Incident Action Plan. The focus of this plan is always protect life, property, infrastructure and environment through the coordination of GOA ministries, municipalities and other resources as necessary. Concurrently, lead and supporting agencies are designated and CMOs are preparing to support the communities in need.

20Operational RhythmThe when of the operation

Timings of briefingsTimings of reports/outputsTimings of shiftsDictated by:Lead Agency rhythmLocal Authorities activities and rhythmInformation needs of GOA senior executives and elected officialsGovernment of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management Agency21Upon activation of the POC, an operational rhythm must be established. This will set the briefing and report timings, based on the communitys and Field Officer situation reports. This provides some consistency to allow for set shift timings to ensure ongoing coverage in the event that an incident continues for an extended period of time. An example of this was the 2013 floods, where the POC was activated to level 4 and ran 24/7 for nearly a month.

When to Call 1-866-618-2362Local Authority to determine when and for what reason

State of Local Emergency (SOLE) declarationActivation of EOC/ ECCAny evacuation requiring activation of a Reception CentreDisruption of critical services (fire/police/hospital/911/ major transportation routes)Request for assistance from GOA (or federal agencies)Crosses municipal boundariesBeyond community capacity to provide an adequate response

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management Agency22So when does the POC get a call? As the next 2 slides indicate, there are many occasions where the POC is notified and or activated.These occasions can range from a simple need, Like the request to use the Armoury in Calgary as a reception centre during the underground fire in October. Here the POC coordinated the request with DND to gain official permission, all the way up to a State of Local Emergency, which at the height of the 2013 floods, 31 communities had declared.When to Call 1-866-618-2362Any impact to Provincial buildingsHigh Intensity Residential Fire (HIRF) 3 or more adjacent buildingsRequest for Fire InvestigatorActivation of Alberta Emergency Alert or difficulties in utilizing the systemAt any time when you are unsure of which external agency or resource to call to report or request assistance from with an emergency event

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management Agency23Now, unfortunately for us at AEMA, if you Google emergency, you will get 2 Wikipedia articles, a television series that ran from 1972-1979 of the same name, and then AEMA. Seeing as how Google is essentially the new yellow pages, you can only imagine the types of calls we get on a the 1-866 number on a regular basis Provincial Operations Centre Kelly speaking, how may I help you? Hello, is this the Alberta Emergency Management Agency? Yes sir, how may I help you this morning? (0245hrs).Well my landlord/roommate is getting evicted, so I have to find a new place to live, but I have no money and my probation order states that I have to live herecan you get me money? I am sorry Sir, but that is not within the AEMA mandate. But it says on your website you provide emergency funding, this is an emergency! Needless to say, this gentleman got the short, short version of the presentation I just gave you! If Emergency Social Services is active, you can bet that the POC is activated to some degree, or at the very least tracking and analyzing the event in order to respond and provide support if it deteriorates. Major Event Support Apparatus

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyAnother way AEMA supports Albertans is through the deployment of the Major Event Support Apparatus, or MESA. I know, I know, Another way, wow, this AEMA is amazing! What dont they do? Well besides the anecdote on the previous slidenot much, and to add some icing to that cake, the province has not one, but 2 MESAs, one in Edmonton and one in Medicine Hat. The MESAs can be deployed on short notice with a PDO to a location that requires a Coordination and Communications centre. The MESA is a self-contained, mobile communications platform that provides a warm place to work, as well as cellular or satellite based telephone and internet services for the on scene Incident Command Team. And just to clarify, just because we bring our big, fancy RV to the party doesnt mean we want to take over, or that the POC is no longer involved. The MESA is simply a resourse available for an on-scene coordination centre for the local Incident Management Team who is running the show.24Summary

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyYou may be asking yourself, What does this mean to me as ESS? As you can see from this presentation, there are many behind the scenes players acting on your behalf. We know very well that we arent perfect, and we dont always get it right, but If we at the POC are doing our job correctly, you will never know about the dozens of phone calls it took to get 20 busses for those evacuations. You will never hear about where those 10,000 sandbags came from, or where the Sheriffs and RCMP that assisted at the debit card distribution points came from. The Alberta Emergency Management Agency is your silent partner, quietly supporting the efforts of communities and Emergency Social Services to provide safety and the necessities of life to all Albertans during disasters. So you see ladies and gentlemen..25IM FROM THE GOVERNMENT

AND IM HERE TO HELPGovernment of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyIm from the government, and Im here to help!

26Thank YouKelly Stewardson, CD

Senior Emergency Management OfficerProvincial Operations Centre14515-122 Avenue NWEdmonton, Alberta [email protected]

1-866-618-2362 24/7/365

Government of AlbertaAlberta Emergency Management AgencyLadies and gentlemen, I thank you for your attention. I ask that you hold any questions until Sonya has concluded her portion of this mornings activities. I suspect that may of the questions you may have will be answered during her presentation. If not, I will be happy to answer them afterwards. Thank you.27