[00:00:02]
FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT'S BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION.
WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE METIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, METIS AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUE TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
[1. Disclosure of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof.]
NO, WE'RE ALL GOOD.AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR TOPIC, WHICH IS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THIS CART.
AND AT THIS POINT, I WILL THROW IT OVER TO OUR CITY MANAGER.
[2. A presentation regarding Emergency Management – Council’s Roles & Responsibilities]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR, AND WELCOME TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE.THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR BEING AVAILABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AND PRESSING ISSUE, SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS GET THE ATTENTION THAT IT WE KNOW IT DESERVES.
BUT BOY, OH BOY, WHEN WE SEE THINGS HAPPENING IN THE TERRITORY ADJACENT TO THE CITY AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WE DO LIKE THE WILDFIRES THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, IT DOES ELEVATE EVERYBODY'S INTEREST IN THE WORK THAT'S UNDERWAY AROUND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE TEAM'S WORK THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED IN DOING THIS.
AND WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY INFORMATION ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PARTICULARLY FOCUSING ON COUNCIL'S ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING.
AND ON THAT NOTE, I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO CRAIG MCLEAN, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
HE WILL TAKE US THROUGH SOME INFORMATION AND OVER TO YOU, CRAIG.
THANKS MS. BASSI-KELLETT FOR THE INTRODUCTION THERE.
SO JUST A QUICK ROUND TABLE FOR YOU THAT MAY NOT KNOW EVERYONE HERE.
FIRE CHIEF NELSON JOHNSON, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF ROB ANDREWS.
HIS PORTFOLIO IS OPERATIONS AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT SUPERVISOR POMADERRIS ATHENA PRODROMUS. MY APOLOGIES ON THE PRONUNCIATION.
THIS IS OUR MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT MANAGER, MITCHELL ROWLAND.
AND OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE IS DEPUTY CHIEF SEANN MAY.
SO THANKS FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
WHAT I WOULD ASK JUST QUICKLY IS BECAUSE I WANT TO SPEED THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THEN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO POSE TO MYSELF OR THE TEAM HERE.
OKAY, SO WE'LL START OFF TODAY.
COUNCIL ADMINISTRATION ROUNDTABLE, AS MISS SHEILA MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID. SO WE'LL JUMP RIGHT INTO THE PRESENTATION HERE.
SO WHAT I'VE OUTLINED HERE FOR SOME ORIENTATION TOPICS IS JUST TAKING AN OVERALL LOOK AT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, WHAT OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM CONTEMPLATES.
OUR PLAN THAT EXISTS CURRENTLY AND POTENTIALLY FUTURE, WHAT YOUR ROLES LOOK LIKE IN EMERGENCY SITUATION, HOW COMMUNICATION IS AFFECTED NOT ONLY AMONGST OURSELVES, AS YOU KNOW, COUNCIL AND SENIOR ADMINISTRATION, RIGHT DOWN TO OUR OPERATIONAL PEOPLE AT SITE LEVEL AND OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL.
AND THEN LIKE I SAID, WE'LL WRAP THAT UP WITH A QUESTION PERIOD.
SO SO WHEN WE LOOK AT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, I JUST PUT A PICTURE ON HERE.
THIS WAS A FIRE THAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO.
ACTUALLY DEPUTY CHIEF ANDREWS WAS IN INCIDENT COMMAND FOR THIS ONE.
SO WHEN WE THINK OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND YOU LOOK AT A MEDIUM SIZED COMMERCIAL BUILDING FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAME, THAT'S NOT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THAT'S DEALING WITH AN EMERGENCY. SO JUST TO PUT THE CONTEXT TO IT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS A LARGER SCALE THAN THAT, AND IT'S MOSTLY NATURAL OR HUMAN MADE DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES THAT COULD OCCUR ANYTIME WITHIN THE MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY.
HERE. WE CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SMALLER SIZED EMERGENCY WHERE ANYTHING IN OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PURVIEW WOULD BE A LARGER SIZED EVENT THAT USES UP OUR RESOURCES OR OVERWHELMS OUR RESOURCES TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO PUT SOME EMERGENCY LARGER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT MEASURES INTO PLACE.
SO LIKE I SAID, IT'S MORE THAN JUST RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES.
WE HAVE A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AS A CITY IN PART OF A BIGGER PLAN WITH THE TERRITORY, LOCAL BUSINESSES, NGOS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
[00:05:02]
SO HOW WE RESPOND TO THE EMERGENCY, THE BIGGER EMERGENCIES IS A COLLABORATIVE AND INTEGRATED APPROACH WITHIN THE NWT SYSTEM, AND YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT AS WE AS WE BREAK IT DOWN IN FUTURE SLIDES HERE.UM, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS INCREASE OUR RESILIENCY SO THAT WHEN OUR RESOURCES ARE DEALING OR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE DEALING WITH THE EMERGENCY AT THE SITE LEVEL AND THEY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, HOW DO WE COME IN AS AN ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT THOSE SITE LEVEL RESOURCES? SO OF COURSE, THERE'S SOME LEGISLATION IN THE NWT THAT DIRECTS US ON HOW TO DO THOSE THINGS, AS THERE IS FOR A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES THAT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE.
SO WHAT ONES ARE RELEVANT TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE? WELL, UNDER THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT, WE HAVE SOME BROAD POWERS AND DUTIES DELEGATED.
AND SPECIFICALLY UNDER THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT WE HAVE SPECIFIC ROLES UNDER THAT.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AS COUNCIL WOULD BE ANY DECLARATION OF A STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY IF THERE'S A LARGER SCALE EMERGENCY OR DISASTER IMPACTING THE CITY.
SO THE NWT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INCLUDES ALL THESE ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING THE LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS.
THE CTV ACT ALLOWS YOU AS MUNICIPAL COUNCIL TO ENACT LAWS FOR THE SAFETY AND THE HEALTH OF THE POPULATION, WHETHER THAT'S THE BYLAW ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WHETHER THAT'S OUR FIRE PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY SERVICES BYLAW THAT'S IN PLACE, AND THEN BYLAWS GUIDE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES UNDERNEATH THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT.
SO SPEAKING OF OUR BYLAWS, SO WE HAVE BYLAW 496 AND THAT PROVIDES THE AUTHORITY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE. THE LOCAL COORDINATOR IS OUR CITY MANAGER, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. WE HAVE A LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION WHICH INCLUDES MYSELF, THE CITY MANAGER.
THE FIRE CHIEF ALSO SITS ON THAT.
SO ALL THE POWERS THAT ARE UNDERNEATH THE ACT ARE DELEGATED THROUGH THAT BYLAW TO THE CITY MANAGER.
THE ONLY THING THAT IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE DELEGATED IS THE DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY.
YOU OWN THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I LIKE THIS GRAPHIC AND I LIKE THE BREAKDOWN BECAUSE WHAT THIS CONTEMPLATES IS THESE FIVE COMPONENTS AND THEY CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN SEQUENCE OR AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE OVERLAP OR THE SEQUENCE IN THEM IN THE GRAPHIC ITSELF.
BUT THEY'RE NOT INDEPENDENT OF EACH OTHER.
SO GOOD WORK DONE ON THE TWO FRONT SIDE AND THE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW US ON THE BACK SIDE THE PREPAREDNESS SORRY, THE GOOD WORK DONE ON THE FRONT SIDE WITH THE PREVENTION, THE MITIGATION AND THE PREPAREDNESS WHEN AN EVENT HAPPENS IS GOING TO ALLOW AN EASIER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY OF AN INCIDENT THAT THAT IMPACTS US.
AND MOST EMERGENCIES DON'T FALL UNDER BECAUSE EMERGENCIES ARE DYNAMIC EVENTS AND DISASTERS.
THEY NEVER, EVER FALL UNDER ONE SPECIFIC PIECE OF THE FRAMEWORK.
THERE'S ALWAYS ASPECTS TO IT IN EACH PIECE OF THE FRAMEWORK SO.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR OVERALL, WHAT THAT GRAPHIC AND WHAT THE FRAMEWORK MEANS INTERNALLY AS FOR PLANNING AND PLANS THAT EXIST.
THAT'S OUR YELLOWKNIFE EMERGENCY PLAN.
THERE'S ALSO EXTERNAL PLANS THAT INFORM OUR EMERGENCY PLAN, AND THAT'S THE NWT EMERGENCY PLAN.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PLANS, WHICH ALSO INFORM OUR PLANNING PROCESS.
AND THEN UNDER OUR PLAN, WE HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION LIKE OUR INTERNAL PROCEDURE MANUALS, OUR EOC GUIDE MANUAL, THAT TELLS US WHEN WE PUT OUR PLAN INTO PLACE, HOW INTERNALLY DO WE PROCEDURALIZE THE PIECES OF THAT PLAN.
HAZARD SPECIFIC LOOKS MORE AT UNDERSTANDING THE CRITICALITY OF CERTAIN HAZARDS AND THEIR IMPACTS.
[00:10:07]
SO THE ONE THAT REALLY OVERARCHES FOR THE GNWT IS THE HIRA, WHICH IS THEIR HAZARD IDENTIFICATION RISK ASSESSMENT.THERE IS NOT ONLY A TERRITORY WIDE ONE, BUT THERE'S ALSO A NORTH SLAVE PIECE TO THAT AS WELL, WHICH IS IS REPRESENTATIVE OF US AND THEN OUR OWN INTERNAL COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PROGRAM OR SORRY PROTECTION PLAN LOOKS SPECIFICALLY AND 2019 AT SOME WILDFIRE PREDICTABILITY AND THERE WERE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT AT THE TIME.
SO WHAT ARE OUR OBJECTIVES? SO WE'VE GOT A BYLAW, WE'VE GOT A PLAN, WE'VE GOT A FRAMEWORK.
WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE OUT OF HAVING THESE DOCUMENTS? WELL, NUMBER ONE, WE WANT TO PROVIDE FOR THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF ALL OUR RESPONDERS.
SAVING LIVES, REDUCING SUFFERING, PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH.
WE WANT TO PROTECT GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE WANT TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S PROPERTY.
WE WANT TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND OVERALL, WE WANT TO REDUCE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LOSSES.
SO SO OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK, AS WITH ALL LEVELS OF THE NWT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION OR EMO IS, IS WHAT IT'S REFERRED TO IN MACA SUPPORTS A PRESCRIBED SET OF RESPONSE OBJECTIVES AND THEY'RE SET OUT IN PRIORITY, AS YOU SEE HERE, ACTION PLANS FOR SITE AND SUPPORT LEVELS TAKE ALL THESE OBJECTIVES INTO CONSIDERATION.
SO SHOULD WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY AT THE SITE? WHAT WE SEE HERE FOR OUR MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES LOOSELY FALL UNDER THE SAME FOR PRIORITIES THAT THE FIRE DIVISION WOULD HAVE THROUGH THEIR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT.
SO LET'S JUMP A LITTLE INTO OUR SPECIFIC PROGRAM NOW.
SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR LEGISLATION.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRAM.
SO ELECTIVE OFFICIALS ROLE, WHILE YOU MAY WANT TO HELP OUT IN THE AND ASSIST IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE EMERGENCY, THE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS ARE BEST SUITED TO THE STAFF THAT HAVE THE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE TO DO THAT, THE EDUCATION, THE OPERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE TO FUNCTIONS IN THOSE ROLES.
SO THE CITY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BYLAW IDENTIFIES OBJECTIVES OR PROGRAM MUST MEET.
HOWEVER, THE CITY'S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST NOT THE EMERGENCY PLAN.
SO WE'VE SHOWN A PLAN, HOW IT FITS INTO THE OVERARCHING SCHEME.
SO UNDER THE LEGISLATION, WE HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITIES.
WE GOT TO DEVELOP, COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT A PLAN WHICH WE HAVE.
WE GOT TO TEST THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN AND COOPERATION'S WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AND OUTSIDE AGENCIES, WHICH WE DO, ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN IS REVIEWED ANNUALLY, WHICH WE DO, AND DEVELOP INFORMATION TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON PREPARING FOR AND DEALING WITH EMERGENCIES.
AND THIS IS WHERE OUR CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE WEB PAGE, WHICH WE TRY TO KEEP UPDATED TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY BASED ON OUR CAPACITY, HAS THINGS ON THERE ABOUT PREPAREDNESS, WILDFIRE EMERGENCIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WHICH WE TRY TO COMMUNICATE OUT TO.
ANOTHER ASPECT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT BUT WE HAVEN'T IMPLEMENTED YET WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS, IS TRYING TO ENSURE THAT ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITY IN THE CITY THAT HAS GREAT INFORMATION THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT AND SPREAD THAT AMOUNT OF INFORMATION.
SO IF IT'S SOMETHING LIKE WE SAW LAST WEEKEND WHERE THERE'S WILDFIRE SMOKE COMING INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHILE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES HAS A WHOLE LISTING ON WHAT TO DO IF THERE'S WILDFIRE SMOKE, HOW DO YOU PROTECT YOURSELF? WE WOULD SEEK TO LINK THAT TO OURS WITH THEIR PERMISSION, OF COURSE, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS OR GOVERNMENT INFORMATION, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ASK PERMISSION FIRST BEFORE WE START.
BUT THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE AT THAT POINT.
SO THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS WISDOM SAYS YOU DECIDE WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT WE'LL GIVE YOU AN OVERALL KIND OF GUIDANCE FORMAT OF THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR COMMONALITIES BETWEEN COMMUNITIES IN THE NWT AND COMMONALITIES, TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH COMMUNITIES AND THE REST OF CANADA.
[00:15:03]
SO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE NWT BEGINS WITH INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SAFETY.SO AS CITIZENS IN YELLOWKNIFE, WE'RE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN SAFETY.
THERE IS SOME MESSAGING AROUND 72 BE PREPARED.
YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN FOR 72 HOURS SHOULD AN EMERGENCY OCCUR.
YEAH. AND WITH INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEN ESCALATES FROM THE BOTTOM UP, FROM THE INDIVIDUAL TO THE COMMUNITY DEPARTMENTS TO THE COMMUNITY OVERALL TO THE REGIONAL LEVEL AT THE NWT TO THE TERRITORIAL LEVEL AT THE NWT.
SO, YES, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN.
THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN OR NOT.
IT'S PREPARED WITH A BROAD SCOPE TO ALLOW FLEXIBLE RESPONSE TO ANY EMERGENCY SITUATION.
SO THIS PLAN IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE DETAILED OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES OR ADDRESS DETAILED RESPONSE PROTOCOLS NORMALLY HANDLED BY THE APPROPRIATE DIVISIONS OR OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS LIKE THESE FOLKS HERE.
SO HOW DO WE ACTIVATE OUR PLAN? SO SOME SOME ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE MADE OF ANY EMERGENCY PLAN IS THAT THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES, LIKE I SAID, WILL TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO REDUCE THEIR RISK OF EXPOSURE TO HAZARDS AND WILL TAKE MEASURES TO RESPOND WITHIN THEIR MEANS TO AN EMERGENCY.
SO IF THERE'S A STRUCTURE FIRE HAPPENING, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT MAY ASK PEOPLE ON EITHER SIDE OR IN THE PERIMETER TO LEAVE THAT AREA TO TACTICALLY EVACUATE THAT AREA AND IF THEIR OWN SAFETY.
BUT IF I'M IN A HOUSE AND THERE'S A HOUSE FIRE TWO DOORS DOWN AND THE SMOKE IS COMING INTO MY HOUSE AND IT'S ACCURATE AND IT'S BOTHERING ME, I MAY NOT WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO COME ALONG AND TELL ME TO LEAVE.
I MAY APPLY, YOU KNOW, BEST SENSE AND I MAY CHOOSE TO LEAVE BECAUSE IT'S BOTHERING ME.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW THE EMERGENCY PLAN ANTICIPATES.
AND THEN OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WITH THE MUNICIPAL AND TERRITORIAL LEVEL, SHOULD THEY BE ACTED, THEY ALL RESPOND WITHIN THEIR OWN INTERNAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN YELLOWKNIFE WE HAVE THREE LEVELS OF ACTIVATION FOR OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.
SO SHOULD THESE FOLKS WORKING AT SITE BE OVERWHELMED AND THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, POLICE SUPPORT OR THEY NEED ANOTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT SUPPORT OR THEY NEED ANOTHER CITY DEPARTMENT SUPPORT IF THEY NEED PUBLIC WORKS.
RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FIRE DIVISION WHEN IT COMES TO TRAFFIC AND BYSTANDER CONTROL DURING AN EMERGENCY MED CAN EITHER BE REQUESTED OR MAY AUTOMATICALLY RESPOND BASED ON THE SEVERITY OF THE HAZARD OCCURRING.
AND THEY WILL GO IN AND THEY WILL SET UP A PERIMETER TO CONTROL TRAFFIC, TO CONTROL PEOPLE THAT ARE WALKING INTO THE EMERGENCY SCENE AND POTENTIALLY BEING EXPOSED TO THE HAZARD AREA.
SO MAYBE IT'S PUBLIC WORKS, MAYBE WE'RE HAVING AN EMERGENCY AND WE NEED.
WE HAVE WATER RUNOFF THAT FREEZES ON THE STREET.
MAYBE WE NEED PUBLIC WORKS TO COME IN AND SUPPORT US.
AND THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT ON ON A RATING SYSTEM THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND THIS JUST MORE OR LESS SAYS, YOU KNOW, LEVEL ONE, IT'S SMALL SCALE.
MAYBE IT'S THE I NEED PUBLIC WORKS AND A COUPLE OF TRUCKS AND SOME SANDING TO TAKE CARE OF THE ICE.
MAYBE IT'S A MEDIUM SIZED EVENT AND IT'S IMPACTING DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT EVEN BE A FIRE EMERGENCY.
WE HAD A SEWER FORCE MAIN BLEW UP A FEW YEARS AGO.
THAT BECAME QUITE A LARGER EVENT TO DEAL WITH THE PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT CONSIDERATION AND MAINTAINING PEOPLE HAD ACCESS INTO THE CAM LAKE AREA, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WHERE WE COULD ACTIVATE A LEVEL TWO.
WE COULD GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN, WE COULD ENACT THAT PART OF OUR PLAN AND THEN SUPPORT THOSE OPERATIONS ON SCENE TO MAKE SURE IF THEY NEED CONTRACTORS OR THEY NEED MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT FOR CONTROL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S A FIRE OR A LIFE SAFETY HAZARD THAT THAT FIRE EMS MAY NEED LIKE SO WE CAN HELP ACTIVATE THOSE PIECES AND THEN A LARGER SCALE EVENT.
WELL, THAT'S MAJOR IMPACTS ON THE CITY.
SO THAT'S PORTIONS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE BEEN HAZARD IMPACTED WOULD BE A LEVEL THREE SO.
[00:20:02]
THE ICS MODEL IS WHAT THE GMWT USES.SO WE'RE USING THE SAME MODEL AS GNWT.
A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS IN THE GNWT USE THIS MODEL, THE RCMP USES THIS MODEL, AND OUR FIRE DIVISION USES THIS MODEL AS WELL AS OUR BASIC. IT CAN EXPAND AND CONTRACT BASED ON THE SIZE.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS MODEL THE EOC DIRECTOR, WHICH WOULD BE THE LOCAL COORDINATOR, WHICH WOULD BE MS. BASSI-KELLETT, IT COULD BE DIRECTED TO ME.
IT COULD BE DIRECTED TO THE FIRE CHIEF, IT COULD BE DIRECTED TO ONE OF OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, ONE OF OUR OTHER DIRECTORS, DEPENDING ON WHO'S AVAILABLE AND WHAT CAPACITY THEY HAVE TO COME IN.
WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELVES FITTING IN IS THE POLICY GROUP.
YOU PROVIDE OVERSIGHT, DIRECTION, COMMUNICATION.
SOME OF THE THINGS WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A BIT.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE NORTH SLAVE REGIONAL AND THEN THE TEOC OK WOULD BE THE TERRITORIAL.
SO THAT WOULD BE ALL THE TERRITORIAL PEOPLE THAT SIT AND THEY WOULD HELP TO INFORM OUR EOC IN COORDINATION WITH YOUR FOLKS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO STAFFING AT THE DIFFERENT SECTION LEVELS.
SO I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY TOUCH ON THE GNWT ROLE BECAUSE I JUST BROUGHT IT UP.
THE NWT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
SO DURING THE EMERGENCY, WE AS A LOCAL AUTHORITY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EMERGENCY.
NO EMERGENCY IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT POTENTIAL HAZARD HAZARD IMPACT AREA.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE GOVERNMENT COMES IN WITH THE RESOURCES.
OH. SO LET'S JUMP OVER NOW AND TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT YOUR FOLKS ROLE IN WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO AND MANY SMALLER AND MID-SIZED COMMUNITIES SUCH AS YELLOWKNIFE.
WE ARE A SMALLER OR MID SIZED COMMUNITY.
THE EOC DIRECTOR WOULD REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE POLICY GROUP.
IN LARGER COMMUNITIES LIKE IN EDMONTON OR VANCOUVER OR, YOU KNOW, A LARGER CENTER, THAT EXECUTIVE GROUP MAY BE FORMED AND AN EXECUTIVE GROUP MAY BE A GROUP OF SENIOR LEADERS, OR IT MAY BE CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
SO WHILE LOCAL AND WHILE LOCAL EXCUSE ME, WHILE ELECTIVE OFFICIALS MAY WANT TO GET IN AND AND HELP OUT LIKE I PREVIOUS, THE MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS ARE BEST SUITED TO THE STAFF WE HAVE AT THOSE LEVELS.
SO WE WOULD JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE ROLE THAT YOU FOLKS TAKE ON THAT YOU'RE BEING PUT INTO EXPECTED ROLES THAT YOU CAN USE YOUR SPECIALTIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN.
MOST OF THAT IS IS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT A DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN LIGHTLY AS POTENTIALLY IT'S GOING TO AFFECT PEOPLE'S CIVIL LIBERTIES, BECAUSE WHAT A DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY ALLOWS US TO DO IS IT GRANTS US SPECIAL POWERS TO DO THE THINGS THAT WE MAY NEED TO DO TO MITIGATE AN EMERGENCY.
A STATE OF LOCAL EMERGENCY IS OUR PRIMARY PIECE OF REGULATION OR DOCUMENT IF WE WANT TO EVACUATE PARTION OR PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
[00:25:04]
GOVERNMENT LEVEL, DIFFERENT NGOS.MAYBE IT'S SALVATION ARMY, MAYBE IT'S BAILEY HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S SORRY, THE NEW ONE THERE THE FEMALE FACILITY IS CALLED THE BETTY HOUSE.
YOU MAY BE TALKING TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY BE TALKING TO ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES, COORDINATING WITH THEM, AND YOU MAY ALSO BE SHARING SPOKESPERSON DUTIES.
SO ONCE AGAIN, OVERSIGHT AND RESPONSE, NOT DIRECTING IT, SUPPORTING THE OVERALL RESPONSE THROUGH KEEPING OUR CONSTITUENTS INFORMED. AND THAT'S CRITICAL.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WHEN COUNCIL IS AMPLIFYING THE MESSAGE, I THINK WE ALL KNOW IF THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON, YOU KNOW, AS SIMPLE AS, OH MY GOODNESS, THE RCMP OR NUP, WHAT'S GOING ON, RIGHT? RUMOR MILLS ABOUND.
SO WE WOULD PLAY A REALLY STRONG ROLE IN TERMS OF THE MANAGING THE COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN A CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT ISSUES ARE GOING ON, WHAT WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN. AND WE WOULD REALLY THEN IT'S SO GREAT FOR COUNCIL BECAUSE PEOPLE LOOK TO YOU AS THE LEADERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO AMPLIFY THAT MESSAGE, KEEP PEOPLE CALM AND HAVE CONSISTENT MESSAGING.
SO THAT'S A REALLY CRITICAL PART OF THIS.
I THINK ONE OF THE BEST ROLE MODELS IN THIS WAS, REMEMBER THE FLOODS IN IN CALGARY IN 2012 OR 13? NENSHI RIGHT. LIKE HE WAS ALL OVER IT.
EVERYBODY JUST NEXT MESSAGE WILL BE AT A CERTAIN TIME.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR ROLE IN EMERGENCY PLANNING, THERE'S.
YOU HAVE A HUGE ROLE TO PLAY IN A NON-EMERGENCY DECISIONS AS WELL, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS WITH ALL THE PRESSURES AND DEMANDS PLACED ON THE CITY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS HARD FOR RESIDENTS TO CONCEPTUALIZE BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL, IT'S NEVER HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO HISTORY OF IT.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WON'T IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU. AND THEN WHAT WE REALLY STRUGGLE WITH DOING IS HAVING A BEING PREPARED FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL HAZARDS AND POTENTIAL VULNERABILITIES IS TRYING TO COME UP WITH PLANS FOR THAT PREPAREDNESS.
AND THAT USUALLY COMES WITH COSTS.
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT YOU DECIDE UPON IS OTHER POLICY IS OUR BUDGET.
IT'S YOUR BIGGEST POLICY DECISION.
SO WHEN WE COME AS A PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS FOR SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY MAY NEVER OCCUR, THAT'S A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR YOU FOLKS TO MAKE, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF WHAT AM I DEALING WITH IN THE HERE AND NOW AGAINST WHAT AM I POTENTIALLY DEALING WITH IN THE FUTURE? SO WHERE THAT PLAYS IN A BIG ROLE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IN OUR FRAMEWORK, THE PREVENTION AND MITIGATION, GOOD WORK DONE ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THAT MAKES FOR EASIER WORK ON THE RESPONSE AND THE RECOVERY.
YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID THAT SHOULD SHOULD HAPPEN SO.
BUT IT'S A GREAT ONE THAT SHOWS.
SO OUR CURRENT EMERGENCY PLAN CONTEMPLATES THREE MAJOR RISKS AND THE POSSIBLE IMPACT TO THE CITY IN AND I'VE ADDED THEM IN PARENTHESES THERE SO YOU CAN SEE IT. SO OFF NOTE FROM THE ALL THE NORTH SLAVE ONES ON THE SIDE, YOU CAN NOTICE THAT COVID PANDEMIC IS NUMBER FOUR MEDIUM UNDER HUMAN DISEASE. AND WE KNOW THAT WE'VE ALREADY EXPERIENCED THAT FOR TWO YEARS.
RIGHT? SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S RANKED AS NUMBER FOUR MEDIUM, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT AND WE'VE SEEN THAT THE IMPACT AND THE RESULTS AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE STILL FEELING IT TO THIS DAY. SO THE OTHER ONES THAT POTENTIALLY HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, COME TO PASS AND LUCKILY, HOPEFULLY THEY NEVER WILL.
BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS HERE IS FIRE AND EXPLOSION.
AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE AND AS THE NORTH CONTINUE TO WARM FOUR TIMES FASTER THAN THE REST OF THE SOUTHERN LATITUDES, WILDFIRES BECOMING A BIG IMPACT.
YELLOWKNIFE IS A WILDFIRE CITY.
[00:30:02]
WE SIT ON THE INTERFACE.I WOULD SAY THAT THE WHAT WE SEE IN THE MEDIA RIGHT NOW WITH ROLLING FIRES THROUGH LARGE CONTINUOUS FORESTS. WE MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME FUEL PACKAGES UP HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF LAKES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CANADIAN SHIELD.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SPARSE VEGETATION.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SMALLER SIZED TREES.
SO WE HAVE SMALLER DIMENSIONAL TREES.
WE HAVE SOME NATURAL BARRIERS.
LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE SOME LAKES AROUND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SOME MANMADE BARRIERS.
YOU KNOW, THE SAND PITS IS A NATIONAL BARRIER WHERE THERE'S THERE'S LACK OF FUEL, CONTINUOUS FUEL TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOW FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THOSE EVENTS. SO I JUST THOUGHT IT'D BE BENEFICIAL TO ADD THAT IN THERE.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR WILDFIRE RISK AND THIS IS FROM FEBRUARY THIS FALL, THE FIRE DIVISION AND MYSELF ATTENDED A KIND OF A PRE SEASON UPDATE ON WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT WILDFIRE CONDITIONS TO LOOK LIKE IN THE YELLOWKNIFE NORTH SLAVE REGION.
THIS WILDFIRE SEASON, YOU CAN SEE WHEN THIS WAS PRESENTED IN FEBRUARY, YELLOWKNIFE'S ON A MODERATE DROUGHT SCALE, YOU CAN SEE DOWN NEAR THE BORDER, FORT SMITH. AND THAT YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE MORE ON AN EXCESSIVE DROUGHT SCALE.
SO OVER WINTER, CONDITIONS WERE DRY.
EVEN THOUGH WE HAD THOSE SNOWMAGEDDON EPISODES, WE STILL HAD AVERAGE OR BELOW AVERAGE SNOWFALL.
SO HERE'S THE SEASONAL PREDICTIONS.
THESE MODELING FORECASTS WERE PROVIDED IN APRIL.
AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE RATINGS.
IT SHOWS EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS IN THE YELLOWKNIFE AREA FOR JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST.
TO DATE IN JUNE, WE HAVEN'T HAD HIGHER FIRE RATINGS AND WE ACTUALLY HAD IN MAY.
SO MAY'S FIRE RATINGS WERE ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN JUNE'S TO DATE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE ON THE ON THE FORECAST THAT MAY ACTUALLY SHOWED VERY LITTLE IN JUNE SHOWED HIGHER.
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS HERE AS THE SEASON PROGRESSES AND TEMPERATURES AND OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES IN PARTICULAR START TO RISE UP FROM THE SINGLE DIGITS UP INTO THE DOUBLE DIGITS. SO WE RECEIVED DAILY BRIEFINGS.
SO THE FIRE CHIEF AND HIS TEAM AT THE FIRE DIVISION RECEIVED DAILY BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS FROM ECC ON FIRE INDICES AND FIRE WEATHER TO HELP THEM INFORM OPERATIONAL PREPAREDNESS FOR ANY WILDLAND FIRE OR WHAT WE WOULD CALL A WILDLAND INTERFACE FIRE.
SO JUST TO CONTEXTUALIZE THAT FOR YOU, WE HAVE A SURROUNDING WILDFIRE WHERE WE COULD HAVE A EITHER A PERSON OR A, YOU KNOW, A LIGHTNING CAUSED EVENT IN OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE INTERFACE AREAS WHERE HOUSES AND BUSINESSES AND THAT WE REFER TO THEM AS GREEN SPACES WHERE THERE'S HUMAN ACTIVITY THAT OCCURS, AS WE KNOW, IN THOSE GREEN SPACES.
AND THERE'S A POTENTIAL FOR THAT HUMAN ACTIVITY TO CAUSE SOMETHING TO HAPPEN WHERE ALTHOUGH IT'S A SMALLER SIZED AREA, IT STILL HAS THE IMPACT OF SURROUNDING BUSINESSES AND HOUSES.
SO ONE FLICKED CIGARET BUTT, RIGHT.
SO IF YOU LOOK OVER ALL AT OUR CITY AND HERE'S KIND OF AN OVERALL VIEW OF THE MAP.
SO OUR PINK AREAS ARE THE HIGHER PRIORITY.
AS YOU KNOW, COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN BROUGHT THIS UP THE OTHER DAY.
THERE WAS NO FIRES BURNING IN 2023, 2020 DIDN'T GET DONE DUE TO CONTRACT 2022, 2022 DIDN'T GET DONE DUE TO CONTRACT FAILURE.
2024 WE HAVE DISASTER MITIGATION FUNDING COMING IN THAT WILL ENABLE ALL 29 COMMUNITIES IN THE NWT FACING WILDFIRE RISK TO COMPLETE THEIR FIRE BREAKS OR FIRES BURNING OVER A PERIOD OF EIGHT YEARS.
LOOK AT ALL THESE PRIORITY AREAS.
SO IF IT'S COMMISSIONERS LAND OR IF IT'S SORRY, WHAT'S THE OTHER GNWT LAND AND COMMISSIONERS LAND.
CROWN LAND. THANK YOU COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.
[00:35:01]
SO IF IT'S EITHER ONE OF THOSE, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO SEEK PERMISSION FROM THEM OR DETERMINE IF WE'RE DOING THAT OR IF THEY'RE DOING IT.THAT'S KIND OF SOME THINGS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT.
BUT THE OTHER PIECES THAT WE HOPE TO DO OUT OF THIS IS IT ALLOWS US TO CONSIDER THE PEOPLE AND THE TRAINING THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO BUILD WILDFIRE RESILIENCY.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DOING MITIGATION FUEL REDUCTION IN THESE AREAS, WHAT OTHER AREAS DO WE HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE? AND THAT'S WHERE THE FIRE CHIEF AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING ON ON THOSE PIECES WITH SOME PREPLANNING CONCEPTS.
SO LET'S JUST QUICKLY TALK ABOUT.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS.
SO SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES FOR 2023 IS WE'RE REALLY ENGAGING WITH OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER PROGRAM AND UPDATING OUR CITY PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE FIRE DIVISION FOLKS COME IN.
WE'RE CONTINUING OUR TRAINING FOR WILDFIRE INCIDENTS WITH THE YKFD.
IT'S BASED ON SCIENCE AND QUANTITATIVE DATA THAT'S PROVIDED TO US BY ECC, WHICH WE PLUG INTO A BIGGER MATRIX BASED ON THE CANADIAN WILD.
CANADIAN WILDFIRE HAZARD INDICES.
TECHNICAL PIECE. SO PART OF SOME OF THE TRAINING THAT THE FIRE DIVISION IS WORKING RIGHT NOW IS CALLED STRUCTURAL FIRE PROTECTION.
WHAT THAT IS, IS WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME CAPACITY.
ECC ALSO HAS CAPACITY FOR THIS.
SO WE HAVE SIMILAR CAPACITY, AND THAT IS THEY'RE CALLED STRUCTURAL SPRINKLER KITS.
AND WHAT THAT ALLOWS US TO DO IS WE SET UP SPRINKLER SYSTEMS WHICH SATURATE AND CREATE LIKE A [INAUDIBLE] BUBBLE AROUND A HAZARD IMPACT AREA.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT LESSENS THE RISK OF EMBERS AND FALLOUT AND THINGS LIKE THAT CAUSING FIRES AND ACTUALLY IGNITING THOSE STRUCTURES SO.
WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON THIS BRIEFLY.
SO WE NEED CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS.
THEY'RE CRITICAL DURING AND AFTER EMERGENCY.
OUR WELL DELIVERED MESSAGES CAN HELP RESIDENTS NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND THE HAZARD IMPACT ON THEM.
BUT HOW THEY TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WHAT THEY CAN DO TO PROTECT THEIR OWN PROPERTY AND HOW WE CAN INSTILL PUBLIC CONFIDENCE OR PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OUR ORGANIZATION. SO THE ABSENCE OF GOOD COMMUNICATION NOT ONLY LEADS TO PUBLIC UNCERTAINTY AND INACTION WHEN EMERGENCY, IN THE ABSENCE OF CLEAR INFORMATION, LIKE OUR MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID, RUMORS AND FALSE INFORMATION CAN SPREAD QUICKLY.
WE NEED TO BE OUT IN FRONT OF INFORMATION, NOT BEHIND IT.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT OUT IN FRONT OF THE INFORMATION, WHEN BAD INFORMATION IS RELEASED, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE ACTION AND DO THINGS WHICH MAY PUT THEM IN GREATER HARM'S WAY. THEN ACTUALLY HELP THEM.
SO IN A WAY, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR PUBLIC IS AWARE AND EDUCATED BECAUSE THAT WILL EASE THE DEMANDS ON US RESPONDING TO THE EMERGENCY BECAUSE WE WONT HAVE TO CONTROL AND PROVIDE AS MUCH ASSISTANCE BECAUSE OUR INFORMED PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE INFORMATION TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO WHEN THE CITY ISSUES NOTICES ALERTS ON IMPENDING OR IMMEDIATE ACTION AND THAT COULD BE WHETHER THAT'S A NOTICE THAT WE COULD READY TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A DECLARATION AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A RESEND OR AN ALL CLEAR AFTER THAT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT INSTRUCTIONS OUT ON APPROPRIATE ACTIONS.
[00:40:02]
IF AN IMMEDIATELY IF AN AREA NEEDS TO BE IMMEDIATELY WHAT'S CALLED TACTICALLY EVACUATED.SO IF THE CHIEF AND HIS GROUP ARE IN AN AREA AND THEY'RE WORKING AND THEY SAID, HEY, WE NEED EVERYONE OUT OF HERE BECAUSE OUR RISK RIGHT NOW IS WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING AND WHAT IT'S DOING.
RIGHT. IT'S IT COULD TURN INTO A MONSTER HERE.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S OUT OF THE WAY IF WE NEED TO BE DOING.
SO WHEN THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THAT IS OFTEN WHEN THE TEAM IS FOCUSED ON DEALING WITH THE EMERGENCY, COMMUNICATING OUT TO THE PUBLIC IS IS KIND OF A SECONDARY THOUGHT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE MAY BE JUST GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREA, BUT THE PEOPLE WERE GETTING OUT OF THE AREA.
SO WE WOULD SEEK TO IMPROVE HOW WE GET THAT EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC DURING CRISIS.
SO WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? SO THE NWT HAS AN EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.
I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS.
THAT'S THE INTRUSIVE ALERTS THAT COME IN OVER YOUR PHONE AND DO THE THE BUZZING SO IT CAN THEY CAN ALSO THE NWT CAN ALSO SEND OUT NOTICES AND ALERTS ABOUT WEATHER RISKS, MAJOR EMERGENCIES, EVACUATIONS, OTHER THREATS.
SO THE THREE COMPONENTS ARE THE NWT ALERT WEBSITE.
SO WHENEVER AN ALERT HAS BEEN POSTED ON A REGION, IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEY HAVE A MAP OF THE NWT AND THEY CAN SEE AN AREA WHERE ALERTS ARE ACTUALLY POSTED. WE HAVE THE ALERTABLE APP AND YOU CAN GO ON TO GOOGLE OR YOUR APP STORE, WHATEVER DEVICE YOU HAVE, AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THAT.
AND THE LAST PIECE IS, IS THE INTRUSIVE ALERTS AND THAT WHERE WE CAN PUSH OUT EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS OUT TO MEMBERS IN THE AREA SHOULD WE NEED TO IMMEDIATELY INFORM THEM OF AN EMERGENCY OR A HAZARD SO.
YOU THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE CITY OF FINLAYSON AREA.
WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO THEM AND SAY, OKAY, THERE'S SOME BIG STUFF HAPPENING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT COULD CAPTURE PEOPLE AT WORK, AT HOME, WHEREVER.
SO THIS IS HERE IS A COMMUNICATION PIECE.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, IS THAT ALERTABLE APP, AS A MATTER OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE NORTH SLAVE REGION EMO, GNWT MACA, AND WE'RE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT SHOULD WE NEED BECAUSE WE MAY NEED TO USE IT IN A FASHION THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE A LARGER SCALE.
YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE WE HAVE A LARGE, YOU KNOW, TANKER B TRAIN TANKER TRUCK, A FUEL TIPS OVER AND WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, HOME HEATING FUEL OR DIESEL POURING OUT OVER THE ROAD SOMEWHERE.
SO THERE'S THERE'S OTHER THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS AS WELL.
SO IN SUMMARY, YOU'RE THE POLICY GROUP.
YOU SUPPORT THE EMERGENCY PROGRAM OVER THE YEAR WITH APPROVAL OF FUNDINGS, UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PREPAREDNESS AND SUCCESSFUL RESPONSE AND RECOVERY, AND PROVIDING INFORMATION AND ADVICE ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE ABILITIES, POLICY AND LEGISLATION AUTHORITY AND COMMUNICATING PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS DURING A DISASTER.
IN SUMMARY GNWTS ROLE, STRATEGIC TERRITORIAL LEADERSHIP, EXPERT ADVICE FROM THEM AND THEIR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE, 24/7 MONITORING OF ALL HAZARDS IN THE NWT, COORDINATION AND SUPPORT, PUBLIC WARNING SYSTEMS AS WE TALKED ABOUT, AND DISASTER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SHOULD IT BE REQUIRED.
SO I'M JUST LOOKING AT MY TIME HERE.
SORRY. THAT'S NOT A LOT OF TIME FOR QUESTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, FIRE THEM OFF.
OKAY. SO WITH THAT SAID, THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
AND I KNOW THAT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION TO ABSORB DURING AN HOUR, BUT I MEAN, IT'S ONLY KIND OF IT'S AN ICEBERG, RIGHT? THIS IS KIND OF THE OVERALL TIP OF IT.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. BASSI-KELLETT IF OR TO THE CHAIRPERSON.
COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU, SIR.
COLLEAGUES, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.
THANK YOU. YEAH, JUST A PRACTICAL ONE.
[00:45:03]
PROBABLY FOR MS. BASSI-KELLETT ON THIS ONE FROM A DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY.NORMALLY WE HAVE TO HAVE, WHAT IS IT, TWO DAYS BEFORE WE CAN HAVE A MEETING NOTICE? WHAT'S THE RULES AROUND A DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND NOTICE OF MEETING AND GETTING THROUGH ALL THOSE PIECES? GREAT QUESTION. SO THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT HAS PROVISIONS IN THERE FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING GOING DOWN WHERE, HOLY MOLY, IT'S BIG, GOT TO GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER, WE WOULD USE I WOULD BE TEXTING TO SAY, CAN WE GET EVERYONE TOGETHER? THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT FOR THAT ALLOW FOR LESS THAN WHAT IS TYPICALLY QUORUM IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE THAT.
SO WE WOULD DO THAT AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD.
AND I GUESS SINCE I WON'T HOG ANY MORE TIME BECAUSE WE ONLY GOT ABOUT TEN MINUTES.
BUT I MEAN, I WANT TO ASK, THOUGH, WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S A RIDICULOUS WAY OF POSING IT.
BUT I GUESS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS THE THING OR THINGS AND I THINK YOU MAYBE YOU'VE GOT TO IT A BIT THERE CRAIG NEAR THE END ABOUT HOW WE ALERT WITHIN COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY AND WHATNOT.
BUT FROM A POLICY SORT OF PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR FROM US, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE ON OUR WORK PLAN THAT WE NEED TO COME TO COUNCIL IN THE FUTURE TO GET US THINKING ABOUT THINGS, WHETHER IT IS BUDGETARY FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE OF CAN WE GO OUT AND COMMUNICATE WITHOUT THAT DECLARATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY? LIKE WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS FROM YOUR GUYS'S PERSPECTIVES THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT AND THAT WE NEED TO BE TAKING ACTION ON, WHETHER IT'S A POLICY FRONT, A BYLAW FRONT, A PROCESS FRONT? YEAH. [INAUDIBLE] IF THE ANSWER IS, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T WANT TO ANSWER THAT RIGHT NOW.
THAT KEEP ME UP IS MAKING SURE THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF IS FIRST IN PRIORITY, AND THAT IS, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF? SO DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO DO WHAT WE WANT THEM TO DO? ARE THEY PROPERLY TRAINED TO THAT? ARE WE ARE THEY BEING TRAINED PROPERLY ENOUGH FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT SCOPES OF WORK THAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO? IS THERE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT IS PROHIBITING OUR ABILITY TO TRAIN AND STAFF OUR PEOPLE? PRIME EXAMPLE HAS BEEN AND YOU FOLKS KNOW ABOUT THIS IS THE VOLUME OF OUR EMS CALLS THAT WE DEAL WITH WITH OUR MARGINALIZED AND HOMELESS POPULATION IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE.
OUR STAFF DEALS WITH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF THAT.
MOSTLY IT'S SHOWING UP FOR CALLS WHERE NO ONE WANTS OUR HELP.
SO IT'S A PERCEIVED EMERGENCY AND WE'VE GOT A GREAT, CARING COMMUNITY HERE.
PEOPLE SEE PEOPLE LAYING ON THE GROUND OR AND WE WOULD NEVER TELL ANYONE NOT TO CALL US.
EVEN I SHOULDN'T SAY THESE PEOPLE.
NUMBER ONE FOR ME IS THE FACILITY.
WE HAVE A NEW FIRE HALL BEING WHAT THAT FACILITY ALLOWS IS THE SAFETY OF OUR PEOPLE TO PROPERLY STORE OUR EQUIPMENT, PROPERLY DECON OUR EQUIPMENT, ALLOW FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF OUR PEOPLE, THAT THERE'S PROPER SPACES WHERE WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS SUPPORTING MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
UM, THAT'S JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I DON'T KNOW, CHIEF OR DO YOU GUYS WANT TO FEEL FREE.
AND AS MR. MCLENNAN WAS MENTIONING, WITH THE CALL VOLUMES WE HAVE IN OUR AMBULANCE SERVICE, WE START, WE START TRAINING, THEN THE GUYS GET CALLED AWAY.
AND THAT NOW TAKES PEOPLE AWAY AND OUR AVERAGE EMS CALL WOULD BE ABOUT AN HOUR TO AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM THE TIME THE TONES GO OFF TO THE FINAL REPORTS BEING WRITTEN AND FAXED OFF TO STANTON.
SO THAT'S TAKING THOSE PEOPLE AWAY AND THEN THAT HAS TO BE MADE UP.
BUT THEN THAT REQUIRES HAVING STAFF COME IN TO COVER THE CITY.
AND IN MY OPINION, THE BEST WAY TO HAVE THAT IS TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF FOUR OTHER PEOPLE COMING IN WITH ANOTHER OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THAT SHIFT SO THAT IF A FIRE COMES IN, WE'RE ABLE TO STAFF A FIRE TRUCK AND THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO STAFF TWO AMBULANCES AS WELL.
[00:50:07]
SO THAT WOULD THAT'S MY REQUEST, BUT AGAIN, THAT COMES DOWN TO MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO ALLOCATE STRICTLY TO THAT.AND IF I CAN ADD TO THIS, I THINK THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND MANAGEMENT FUNCTION ITSELF IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE LOW LIKELIHOOD, HIGH RISK, RIGHT? SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS IN THE DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT ACROSS THE CITY.
YEAH, I'M GOING TO GET TO THAT.
YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO GET TO A DESKTOP.
YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT.
SO I APPLAUD CRAIG AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT FOR BEING VIGILANT ON THIS.
IT'S IT IS KIND OF A FUNCTION THAT RESTS NOT SOLELY WITH ONE PERSON.
IT IS SPREAD ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, BUT SOMETIMES IT IS THAT KIND OF THING WHERE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, THAT WON'T REALLY LIKE IT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN, WE'RE OKAY AND WE DON'T PLAN FOR IT. AND THEN STUFF HAPPENS.
YOU KNOW, WE THINK THIS OUT HERE IS NICE RIGHT NOW.
I'VE KIND OF UNCLENCHED A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK OVERALL FOR US AS A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, THAT IS THAT IS A BIG THING THAT PLANNING FOR THIS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DO THE TIME, RESOURCES AND CAPACITY.
THANKS FOR THAT. APPRECIATE THE FRANKNESS.
I'M GOOD. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YEAH, THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
I HAVE ONE THAT I'LL ASK IN AN EMAIL.
IT'S A BIT TECHNICAL LIKE WHERE DO WE GET ADVICE ON WHEN TO DECLARE A LOCAL STATE OF EMERGENCY? IS THERE LIKE SOME SORT OF CRITERIA, JUST SORT OF TECHNICAL THINGS ON THAT? I'LL ASK IN AN EMAIL, BUT HERE WITH LIMITED TIME, JUST WONDERING WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT DMAF FUNDING IS FOR WILDFIRE WORK, HOW MUCH WILL THE CITY GET AND WHEN CAN WE SPEND THAT? LIKE JANUARY 1ST, CAN WE PUT OUT A CONTRACT 2024 OR WILL IT BE IN THE WORKS UNTIL FALL 2024? LIKE WHEN WILL THAT WORK BE ABLE TO BEGIN? SO WE WERE PART OF AN OVERALL PROPOSAL THAT WENT FORWARD THROUGH THE NWT ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES THAT WAS LOOKING AT LET'S TAKE A COHERENT LOOK UP AND DOWN THE VALLEY ACROSS THE NWT FOR ALL COMMUNITIES THAT FACE THE THREAT OF WILDFIRE.
SO THAT KIND OF PLANNING HAS LED TO AN OVERALL PROCESS THAT RIGHT NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT NWT ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES IS WORKING WITH DMAF TO LAY OUT WHAT THAT PROCESS FLOW IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND I'LL SEE IF CRAIG HAS ANY MORE DETAIL TO SHARE.
YEAH, I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC DATES OF APPLICATION IN THAT.
WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN IS A PRELIMINARY INFORMATION JUST ON THE FUNDING APPLICATION AND WHAT THE DIRECTION HAS BEEN IS THAT COMMUNITIES LOOK AT THEIR CURRENT COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
SO OURS WAS IN 2019 THAT WE LOOK AT THE PIECES, WE LOOK AT THE HAZARD AREAS.
WE HAVE A GREAT IDEA OF HOW MANY HECTARES WE WOULD WANT TO DO FUEL REDUCTION IN.
WE KNOW FROM 2022 COSTS WHAT THE COST OF FUEL REDUCTION IS PER HECTARE.
SO WE CAN APPLY THAT INTO THE MODEL FOR A TOTAL COST.
ONE OF THE THINGS THE FIRE CHIEF AND HIS TEAM AND THE CHIEF AND I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ON THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY CONTEMPLATE IS CREATING A FIRE BREAK AROUND THE COMMUNITY. AND I DON'T KNOW, CHIEF, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT, BUT I MEAN, WHEN WE OPEN UP A FIRE BREAK IN A CHANNEL AROUND THE COMMUNITY, THE CHIEF BROUGHT UP SOME GREAT POINTS, IS THAT IT OPENS THAT UP TO HUMAN ACCESS.
PEOPLE CAMPING, PEOPLE SQUATTING, PEOPLE WALKING THEIR DOGS, PEOPLE HIKING.
CHIEF SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD ON THAT OR DID I HIT THAT IN THE HEAD OR.
THANK YOU. NO, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS WHEN YOU OPEN UP THOSE AREAS, WE ACTUALLY WILL END UP WITH MORE CALLS TO THOSE AREAS DUE TO THINGS LIKE LITTER, GLASS BREAKING OUT THERE AND STUFF.
SO IN THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A HIGHER, HIGHER PROBLEM THERE.
SO THE RIGHT WAY THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT IS, IS TO CONTINUE ON WITH OUR FIRESMART PROGRAM.
[00:55:07]
HAVE TIME TO GROW AND GET SEEDED IN THERE.YEAH, I THINK IF THERE'S ANY SORT OF IF THERE'S ANY BENEFIT TO THE WILDFIRE SEASON WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW, IT MEANS THAT HOPEFULLY THAT FUNDING WILL COME QUICKER AND HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF USES. AND THAT SORT OF LEADS INTO MY SECOND QUESTION.
MAYBE JUST A QUICK IDEA OF, IF NOT SORT OF A BIG FIRE BREAK.
I THINK EVERYONE CAN SORT OF IMAGINE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
WHAT WOULD LIKE FIRE STARTING LOOK LIKE? WOULD IT LOOK LIKE THE SORT OF CLEAR CUTTING TO SOME EXTENT THAT ARE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAYS OR WOULD IT LOOK SORT OF JUST REMOVING FUELS? WOULD IT LOOK SORT OF MORE LIKE A NORMAL FOREST, LIKE JUST SOME VAGUE IDEA? THANK YOU. AND THROUGH THROUGH THE CHAIR.
THE FIRE STARTING IS ACTUALLY A WELL PLANNED EVENT.
SO WHERE THEY THIN OUT THE TREES SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE ONE TREE FALLING ONTO ANOTHER TREE, WE DON'T HAVE TREES THAT WILL JUMP AND CROWN AND THEN IT'S ABOUT REMOVING THE LADDER FUELS, WHICH MEANS THE GROUND FUELS THAT WILL RAISE UP AND CAUSE THE TREES AND STRUCTURES TO BURN.
THE HEAT DOESN'T BUILD UP, THE HEAT DISSIPATES, AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE THAT BIG FIRE.
SO IT STILL LOOKS LIKE A FOREST.
IT'S JUST THAT USUALLY FROM SIX FEET DOWN, YOU CAN SEE THROUGH A LOT FARTHER THAN WHERE IT IS.
AND IT'S ABOUT REMOVING THAT LOW VEGETATION BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT DRIES OUT THE SOONEST.
GREAT, THANKS. COUNCILLOR MCGURK.
YEAH, I THINK A FEW TIMES SO FAR WITHIN OUR TERM EVEN, WE'VE HEARD ABOUT THE FACT THAT EMS HAS BEEN STRAINED BY CALLS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY LIKE EMERGENCY IN NATURE.
AND I GUESS IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT THIS IS A PERSISTENT PROBLEM AND BASED ON WHAT STAFF HAVE NOW SAID, INTERRUPTS OUR EFFICACY OR OUR ABILITY TO TRAIN OUR STAFF.
SO I GUESS OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT TO CALL EMS. THESE PEOPLE STILL DO NEED SERVICES.
SO LIKE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING CALLED FOR NEED SERVICES.
HAVE WE TAKEN ANY SORT OF OR RUN AT OR TRIED TO DEVELOP A DIFFERENT PLAN SPECIFICALLY AROUND THIS? BECAUSE LIKE, I GUESS, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT? [INAUDIBLE] YEAH.
THANKS FOR THAT. COUNCILLOR MCGURK.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE NOT TO CALL AND IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO MAY BE IN NEED.
AND FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN ENGAGING WITH, YOU KNOW THE RCMP ARE THEY THE PROPER AGENCY? PROBABLY NOT, BECAUSE THESE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT NEED THE ASSISTANCE, IT'S NOT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR IN NATURE.
RIGHT. SO THEN IT WOULD DEFAULT TO, YOU KNOW, A MENTAL SUPPORT.
WE ARE AWARE THAT NOT ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE ENGAGING IN THAT PROCESS.
THERE'S POCKETS THAT ARE JUST LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR OWN TERMS, OUTSIDE OF THOSE SUPPORT SYSTEMS. HAVE WE TAKEN ANY MORE ACTION THAN WE HAVE? WELL, REALLY WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE IS WE'VE FUNDED THE STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM.
THAT DOESN'T ELUDE US FROM FROM STILL HAVING TO RESPOND TO THOSE IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THEN CALLING THE STREET OUTREACH TO COME IN TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, CARE AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THEM SHOULD THEY NOT NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
UM, DOES THAT PROGRAM WORK TO THE BEST OF ITS ABILITY? DON'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE OF OVERALL WHAT THE COMPLETE INTENTION OF IT WAS.
[01:00:02]
LAST YEAR SO.THANKS. I GUESS I DON'T KNOW THIS.
MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING FOR US AS COUNCIL TO THINK OF, OR I'M NOT SURE WHAT DIRECTION WE TAKE THIS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT IS CAUSING A STRESS ON OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES.
AND SO, YEAH, THE STREET OUTREACH PLAN IS GREAT.
IT WAS IN THE SHOP LIKE FOR THE FEW DAYS LAST WEEK AND NO ONE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY LIMITED RUN ENOUGH AND THEN NO ONE COULD GET PICKED UP AND UM, PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO STOP CALLING EMS IF THEY THINK THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT BE INJURED EVEN.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD CONSIDER LOOKING AT, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT IT SEEMS, UH, LIKE A VALUABLE PLACE TO PUT RESOURCES INTO RESOLVING THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE IT'S PUTTING TAX ON OUR CURRENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND WE HAVE TREMENDOUS STAFF WORKING AT THE FIRE DIVISION THAT ARE EXTRAORDINARILY CARING.
SO EVEN WHEN WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT MAYBE THAT PERSON IS NOT HAVING AN IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY.
BUT WE RECOGNIZE THROUGH OUR ASSESSMENT THAT THEY DO STILL REQUIRE HELP.
OUR OUR STAFF ARE WONDERFUL IN HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WHEN IN DOUBT, WE CAN AT LEAST BRING THEM TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM IS KIND OF THAT FIRST INSTANCE OF ENGAGEMENT IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO TRY TO SUPPORT THEM BASED ON WHATEVER THEIR NEEDS ARE, EVEN IF IT'S NOT EMERGENCY MEDICAL NEEDS. SO THANKS.
WELL, DEFINITELY SOMETHING FOR US TO CONSIDER IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS.
HOW OFTEN DO WE RUN SCENARIOS WITH OUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS SUCH AS THE GNWT? GREAT QUESTION. SO LAST YEAR MYSELF, THE FIRE CHIEF AND DEPUTY CHIEF ANDREWS SAT IN WITH THE GNWT TERRITORIAL EXERCISE.
I BELIEVE IT'S OPERATION [INAUDIBLE] IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF IT.
IT'S ACTUALLY IT'S A TERRITORIAL REQUIREMENT, I BELIEVE, TO EXERCISE THEIR PLAN.
IT WAS AN EXERCISE OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY, SO WE ALL SAT IN AND PLAYED A ROLE IN FUNCTIONING THAT AS WELL AS HOW DOES OUR PLAN FIT INTO SOMETHING THAT THAT HAPPENS ON THE PERIPHERY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO LAST YEAR WAS THE TIME WE DID A FULL FUNCTIONAL SCENARIO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH, THAT BASICALLY COVERS IT.
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY FOR ALL OF OUR EMERGENCY SERVICES BEING IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER.
AND I HOPE THE PUBLIC GOT ALL THE INFORMATION THEY NEEDED.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING OUT.
I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.