Bylaw 490 Regional Emergency Agency and Advisory Committee
Arrowwood, Alberta
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VILLAGE OF ARROWWOOD
BYLAW 490
Being a bylaw of Village of Arrowwood in the
Province of Alberta to establish the Vulcan
County Regional Emergency Management
Agency and Advisory Committee
WHEREAS Village of Arrowwood is responsible for the direction and
control of its emergency response and is required under the Emergency
Management Act, Chapter E-6.8, RSA 2000, to appoint an Emergency
Advisory Committee and to establish and maintain a Municipal
Emergency Management Agency.
AND WHEREAS it is desirable in the public interest, and in the interests
of public safety, that such a committee be appointed, such an agency
be established and maintained to carry out Council's statutory powers
and obligations under the said Emergency Management Act.
AND WHEREAS it is desirable in the public interest, and in the interests
of public safety that a regional emergency management organization be
formed to coordinate a regional emergency approach and programs.
AND WHEREAS the municipalities within Vulcan County wish to
establish a Regional Emergency Advisory Committee, and a Regional
Emergency Management Agency, led by a Regional Director of
Emergency Management.
NOW THEREFORE, THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF VILLAGE OF
ARROWWOOD, IN THE PROVINCE OF ALBERTA, DULY
ASSEMBLED, ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
1. This Bylaw may be cited as the "Regional Emergency Management
Bylaw".
2. In this Bylaw the following words and terms shall have the
following meanings:
a. "Act" means the Emergency Management Act, Chapter E-6.8,
RSA 2000;
b. "Agency" means the Regional Emergency Management Agency;
c. "Council" means the Council of Village of Arrowwood;
d. "CAO" means the Chief Administrative Officer as
appointed by Council.
e. "Director of Emergency Management" (DEM) means the
person appointed by resolution of Council as the "Chief
Administrative Officer" (CAO) who shall be responsible for the
municipality's Emergency Management Program;
f. "Disaster" means an event that results in serious harm to the
safety, health or welfare of people, or in widespread damage to
property;
g. "Emergency" means an event that requires prompt
coordination of action or special regulation of persons or property
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to protect the safety, health or welfare of people or to limit
damage to property;
h. "Emergency Coordination Centre" (ECC) means the physical
location which supports the needs of the municipality or the
Vulcan County Regional Emergency Management Partnership as
a whole, and where the coordination of information and
resources to support incident management (on-scene
operations/Incident Command Post) activities normally take
place.
i. "Emergency Management Advisory Committee", (the
Committee) means the Emergency Advisory Committee of the
Vulcan County Regional Emergency Management Partnership as
established by agreement between and the bylaws of the Parties;
j. "Incident Command Post" means the primary field location
where primary functions are performed.
k. "Vulcan County Regional Emergency Management
Partnership" (VCREMP) means the Vulcan County Regional
Emergency Management Partnership as established by
agreement between and the bylaws of the respective municipal
councils of the Parties;
l. "Local Authority" means, where a municipality has a council
within the meaning of the Municipal Government Act, Chapter M-
26, RSA 2000, that council;
m. "Minister" means the Minister charged with administration of
the Act;
n. "Parties" means the Town of Vulcan, Vulcan County, and the
Villages of Arrowwood, Carmangay, Champion, Lomond and Milo;
o. "Vulcan County Regional Emergency Management
Plan", (the Plan) means the Vulcan County Regional
Emergency
Management
Plan
to
co-ordinate
the
preparation for, response to and recovery from an
emergency or disaster.
p. "Regional Deputy Director of Emergency Management"
(RDDEM) means the person responsible for the duties of the
Regional Director of Emergency Management in their absence;
q. "Regional Director of Emergency Management"
(RDEM) means the person responsible to lead the
Regional Agency in the preparation for, response to and
recovery from a disaster or emergency;
r. "Regional Emergency Management Agency", (the
Agency) means the Vulcan County Regional Emergency
Management Agency as established by Agreement
between and the bylaws of the respective municipal
councils of the Parties; and
s. "Regional Emergency Coordination Centre" (RECC)
means the primary and backup Regional Emergency
Coordination Centre as established and maintained in
accordance with the Regional Emergency Management
Plan
3. Council agrees
a. through the VCREMP, to establish the Committee to guide the
creation, implementation and evaluation of VCREMP plans and
programs and to advise Council on the development of the
aforementioned plans and programs.
b. through the VCREMP, to establish the Vulcan County Regional
Emergency Management Agency, to act as the agent of the
parties of VCREMP to carry out their statutory powers and
obligations under the Emergency Management Act. This
however, does not include the power to declare, renew, or
terminate a state of local emergency (SOLE).
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4. The Committee shall:
a. consist of one appointed municipal Councillor from the Village of
Arrowwood, the Village Carmangay, the Village of Champion, the
Village of Lomond, the Village of Milo, the Town of Vulcan, and
Vulcan County, each of whom shall have one (1) vote regarding
any matter coming before the committee;
b. each municipality shall also appoint one (1) alternate member to
the committee who shall be permitted to vote in the absence or
in place of the primary member;
c. have a quorum of 4 members and a motion or resolution of the
Committee may only be passed by an affirmative vote of the
majority of the members voting on the motion or resolution;
d. appoint one of the municipal members as chair, whom will hold
the position for two years;
e. shall meet at a minimum frequency of one time per year;
f. review the Regional Emergency Management Plan and related
plans and programs on a regular basis; and
g. advise Council, duly assembled, on the status of the Regional
Emergency Management Plan and related plans and programs at
least once each year;
h. provide guidance and direction to the Regional Emergency
Management Agency, as per the Local Authority Emergency
Management Regulation 2(b).
5. Council shall:
a. by resolution, appoint one (1) of its members to serve on the
Committee and at least one (1) member as an alternate;
b. provide for the payment of expenses of its member(s) of the
Committee;
c. ensure that emergency plans and programs are prepared to
address potential emergencies or disasters in Village of
Arrowwood and the VCREMP Region;
d. approve the Regional Emergency Plans and Programs as they
related to Village of Arrowwood and the VCREMP Region;
e. review the status of the Regional Emergency Plan and related
plans and programs at least once a year; and
f. by resolution appoint the CAO as DEM;
g. by resolution, on the recommendation of the Emergency
Management Advisory Committee, appoint a Regional Director of
Emergency Management and six (6) Deputy Director of
Emergency Management.
6. Council will still retain the power to declare, renew or terminate a State
of Local Emergency (SOLE) for any incident that is occurring or may
occur within the jurisdiction of Village of Arrowwood.
7. Council may:
a. by resolution appoint one (1) or more DDEM;
b. by bylaw that is not advertised, borrow, levy, appropriate and
expend all sums required for its share of the operation of the
Committee and the Agency; and
c. enter into agreements with and make payments or grants, or
both, to persons or organizations for the provision of services in
the development or implementation of emergency plans or
programs including mutual aid plans and programs.
8. Council agrees through the VCREMP to have a Regional Director of
Emergency Management (RDEM). The RDEM is responsible to lead the
Regional Agency in the preparation for, response to and recovery from
a disaster or emergency.
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a. Council agrees through the VCREMP to have six (6) Deputy
Regional Directors of Emergency Management (RDDEM).
b. The RDDEM and six (6) DDEM appointments shall represent all
partner municipalities.
9. The Agency shall be comprised of the following persons:
a. the CAO of each municipality which is a member of VCREMP;
b. DEM of each municipality which is a member of VCREMP;
c. DDEM of each municipality which is a member of VCREMP;
10. The Agency may request that the following persons may join or advise
the Agency for each period of time that the Agency deems appropriate:
a. Non Commissioned Officer in charge of RCMP or designate;
b. the Vulcan County Director of Protective Services;
c. Fire Chiefs or Designates;
d. Enforcement Services Manager or designate;
e. Emergency Public Information Officers or designates;
f. Vulcan County Protective Services;
g. Alberta Health Services representatives or designates;
h. School Superintendent or designate;
i. Emergency Social Services Managers or designates;
j. Representative(s) from adjacent municipalities which have
entered in the Agency;
k. Municipal Public Works;
l. Representatives from local business;
m. Representatives from local industry or industrial associations;
n. Representatives from Alberta Municipal Affairs;
o. Representatives from local utility companies; and
p. Anybody else who might serve as useful purpose in the
preparation or implementation of the Regional Emergency Plan.
11. The Agency shall:
a. guide the creation, implementation and evaluation of Regional
Emergency Plans and programs for the VCREMP Region;
b. determine the direction of the Agency and any of its sub groups;
c. coordinate all emergency services and other resources used in an
emergency;
d. ensure that in the event of an emergency, an individual or group
of individuals is designated under the Regional Emergency
Management Plan to act, on behalf of the Agency. The
designation of an individual or group of individuals to act on
behalf of the Agency shall be guided by the following:
i. In the event of an emergency/incident affecting only one
municipality, the local DEM will serve as the Emergency
Coordination Centre (ECC) Director in the local ECC. This
ECC will be supported by resources of the VCREMA as
required including the activation of the Regional
Emergency Coordination Centre (RECC); and
ii. In the event of an emergency/incident, resulting in the
activation of the RECC within or affecting more than one
municipality within the VCREMP Region, the RDEM will
serve as ECC Director for the emergency/incident. As the
DEMs from the affected municipalities arrive at the RECC,
the RDEM and local DEMs will jointly decide who will take
the lead role in the RECC.
e. ensure someone is designated to discharge the responsibilities
specified in paragraphs b, c, and d of this Section.
f. shall utilize the command, control and coordination system (ICS)
as prescribed by the Managing Director of the Alberta Emergency
Management Agency.
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g. On an annual basis, advise the Committee, duly assembled, on
the status of the Regional Emergency Management Plan and any
actions which have been performed.
12. In the event of an emergency entirely within the boundaries of and only
affecting Village of Arrowwood, the authority and powers to declare or
renew a state of local emergency under the Act, the authority and
powers specified in Section 15 of this Bylaw, and the requirement
specified in Section 19 of this Bylaw are hereby delegated to a
municipal committee comprised of the Mayor or any two (2) Councillors.
This municipal committee may at any time when it is satisfied that an
emergency exists or may exist, by resolution, make a declaration of a
state of local emergency.
13. When a state of local emergency is declared, the Agency on behalf of
Village of Arrowwood shall:
a. ensure that the declaration identifies the nature of the
emergency and the area in which it exists;
b. cause the details of the declaration to be published immediately
by such means of communication considered most likely to notify
the population of the area affected; and
c. forward a copy of the declaration to the Minister forthwith.
14. When Village of Arrowwood has declared a state of local emergency,
Village of Arrowwood may for the duration of that State of Local
Emergency, do all acts and take all necessary proceedings including the
following:
a. cause any emergency plan or program to be put into operation;
b. exercise any power given to the Minister under section 19(1) of
the Emergency Management Act in relation to the part of the
municipality affected by the declaration;
c. authorize any persons at any time to exercise, in the operation of
an emergency plan or program, any power given to the Minister
under section 19(1) of the Emergency Management Act in
relation to any part of the municipality affected by a declaration
of a state of local emergency.
15. In accordance with Section 28 of the Act, no action lies against a Local
Authority or person acting under the Local Authority's direction or
authorization for anything done or omitted to be done in good faith
while carry out a power or duty under this Act or in the regulations
during a state of local emergency.
16. In accordance with Section 535(1)(2) of the Municipal Government Act,
councillors, council committee members, municipal officers (CAO and
employees) and volunteer workers are not liable for loss or damage
caused by anything said or done or omitted to be done in good faith in
the performance or intended performance of their functions, duties, or
powers under the Municipal Government Act or any other enactment.
17. In consultation with the Regional Emergency Management Agency, if
the emergency no longer exists, Village of Arrowwood, shall, by
resolution, terminate the declaration.
18. A declaration of a state of local emergency is considered terminated and
ceases to be of any force or effect when:
a. a resolution is passed under Section 18
b. a period of seven (7) days has lapsed since it was declared,
unless it is renewed by resolution;
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c. if declared due to a Pandemic a period of twenty-eight (28) days
has lapsed since it was declared, unless it is renewed by
resolution
d. the Lieutenant Governor in Council makes and order for a state
of emergency for the same area; or
e. the Minister cancels the state of local emergency for the affected
area.
19. When a declaration of a state of local emergency has been terminated,
the Agency on behalf of Village of Arrowwood shall cause the details of
the termination to be published immediately by such means of
communication considered most likely to notify the population of the
area affected.
20. The Regional Emergency Advisory Committee is delegated the authority
to create policies relating to the emergency preparedness, mitigation,
response, recovery and the operation of the Vulcan County Regional
Emergency Partnership and the Agency.
21. Should any provisions of this Bylaw become invalid, void, illegal or
otherwise not enforceable, it shall be considered separate and severable
from the bylaw and the remainder shall remain in force and be binding
as though such provision had not been invalid.
22. Bylaw 485 is hereby rescinded.
23. This Bylaw shall come into force and take effect upon third reading.
Received first reading this 11th day of August, 2022
________________________________
Matt Crane,
Mayor
________________________________
Christopher Northcott,
Chief Administrative Officer
Received second reading this 11th day of August, 2022
________________________________
Matt Crane,
Mayor
________________________________
Christopher Northcott,
Chief Administrative Officer
Presented for unanimous consent of Council to proceed to third reading
this 11th day of August, 2022
________________________________
Matt Crane,
Mayor
________________________________
Christopher Northcott,
Chief Administrative Officer
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Received third reading and finally passed this 11th day of August, 2022
________________________________
Matt Crane,
Mayor
________________________________
Christopher Northcott,
Chief Administrative Officer