County of Lennox & Addington Emergency Response Plan — full text

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot ab0ec35d16c2 · verified 2026-06-09 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

1 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN November 2024 2 This page intentionally left blank. 3 Table of Content Table of Contents................................................................................. 3 Glossary of Terms................................................................................ 4 Introduction......................................................................................... 5 Aim................................................................................................... 6 Authority............................................................................................. 7 Emergency Management Program Committee........................................... 8 Emergency Notification System............................................................... 9 Requests for Assistance........................................................................ 10 Declared County Emergency.................................................................. 10 Municipal Emergency Control Group...................................................... 11 Incident Management System Roles......................................................... 12 Municipal Emergency Control Group Responsibilities.............................. 13 IMS Functions...................................................... 14 Supporting Agencies............................................................................. 16 Emergency Operations Centre................................................................ 17 4 Glossary of Terms Term Definition Emergency Emergency means a situation caused by nature, an accident, an intentional act or otherwise that constitutes an actual or impending danger of major proportions to life or property. Emergency Operations Centre An Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is the structure/facility wherein the Emergency Response Group conducts its Emergency Management functions. There is a primary and secondary EOC identified to ensure operational viability. Municipal Emergency Control Group The Municipal Emergency Control Group (MECG) is the group responsible for managing emergency situations on a County wide basis. The membership is outlined in the plan however it consists of key decision makers, and officials who have the authority to direct or co-ordinate resources within the County. Reception Centre A facility which is set up for the purpose of receiving evacuees, providing light refreshments and temporary shelter. Its primary purpose is for the registration of evacuees and if necessary evacuees will be directed to evacuation centers as required. Evacuation Centre A facility set up to provide emergency shelter, food, clothing, recreation and basic requirements to a group of people who have been evacuated from an area as a result of an emergency. 5 Emergency Response Plan Introduction The County of Lennox & Addington has a population of approximately 42,000 and 2,776 square kilometers of land. In order to protect residents, businesses and visitors, the County of Lennox & Addington may require a coordinated emergency response by a number of agencies and organizations under the direction of the Municipal Emergency Control Group. These are distinct arrangements and procedures from the normal, day-to-day operations. Every official, municipal department and agency must be prepared to carry out assigned responsibilities in an emergency. The response plan has been prepared and approved by Council to provide key officials, agencies and departments of the Corporation of the County of Lennox & Addington emergency response information related to:  Roles and responsibilities during an emergency; and,  Arrangements, services and equipment. In addition, it is important that the residents, business and interested visitors be aware of the County's provisions. The County of Lennox & Addington Emergency Plan may be viewed on the County web site at: www.lennox-addington.on.ca 6 Aim The primary aim of this plan is to make provision for the extraordinary arrangements and measures that may have to be taken to protect the health, safety, welfare, environment and economic health of the residents, businesses and visitors to the County of Lennox & Addington when faced with an emergency resulting from the effects of a natural, technological or human caused disaster. Secondly, the aim is to also support the member municipalities in the implementation and operation of their individual and collective emergency plans. The County of Lennox & Addington Emergency Response Plan enables a controlled and coordinated response to emergencies affecting the Corporation of the County of Lennox & Addington and/or the member municipalities, and meets the legislated requirements of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. The County of Lennox & Addington Emergency Response Plan has been developed in accordance with the Incident Management System (IMS) and is based on the management functions of that system - Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance and Administration. The County of Lennox & Addington also supports member municipalities in the mitigation of an emergency in the county and provides available resources to assist the member municipalities during declarations at that level. 7 Authority The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) is the legal authority for this emergency response plan in Ontario. The EMCPA states: "3. (1) Every municipality shall formulate an emergency plan governing the provision of necessary services during an emergency and the procedures under and the manner in which employees of the municipality and other persons will respond to the emergency and the council of the municipality shall by by-law adopt the emergency plan". As enabled by the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act this emergency response plan and its elements have been: - Issued under the authority of County of Lennox & Addington By-Law 3394/17 - Filed with the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management (OFMEM) a) Definition of an Emergency The EMCPA defines an emergency as: "An emergency means a situation or an impending situation caused by the forces of nature, an accident, an intentional act or otherwise that constitutes a danger of major proportions to life or property." The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) may be activated for any emergency with the purposes of managing an emergency, by maintaining services to the community and supporting the emergency site. b) Action Prior to Declaration When an emergency exists but has not yet been declared to exist, the Municipal Emergency Control Group may take such action(s) under this Emergency Response Plan as may be required to protect property and the health, safety and welfare of County of Lennox & Addington. 8 Emergency Management Program Committee The Emergency Management Program Committee for the County of Lennox & Addington is the Senior Leadership Team. The Committee shall be chaired by the Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) and will consist of the following members: Chief, Emergency Services Chief Administrative Officer Director, Financial Services Director, Community and Development Services Director, Social Services Director, Human Resources Director, Long-Term Care Services Director, Infrastructure Services County Clerk/Communications Manager Manager, Information Technology CEMC - Chairperson The CEMC and CAO along with a minimum of three other members of the Program Committee will meet to review the municipality's program annually. 9 Emergency Notification System Every member of the Municipal Emergency Control Group has an individual and collective responsibility to be prepared to respond to an emergency of an impending, potential or actual nature. The County may be required to provide emergency support to one or more of its municipalities at any time due to an emergency situation. In this regard if a municipality requests County assistance, the County Emergency Plan may be implemented. Under normal circumstances activation of the Municipal Emergency Control Group and/or the County Emergency Response Plan will be authorized by the Chief Administrative Officer. Should this not be possible, individual members of the Municipal Emergency Control Group have the authority. The Warden, as head of Council, may contact the Chief Administrative Officer or a member of the Municipal Emergency Control Group to request activation. To access emergency County assistance, a head of Council or CEMC of a member municipality may contact the Warden or any one of the Municipal Emergency Control Group members and ask that the County plan be implemented to assist them. The Municipal Emergency Control Group once notified and briefed of the situation may decide how extensive the response will be in accordance with the County plan. Due to the nature of an emergency, where a Municipal Emergency Control Group member has the knowledge of a situation which in their judgment warrants the implementation of the County emergency plan, the member may activate the notification procedures. The Municipal Emergency Control Group shall meet as soon as possible to determine how they should respond. The MECG shall, in its deliberations, consider whether a pending or existing situation has or may have a significant negative impact upon the health, safety, welfare and property of the citizens, visitors and businesses of the County. Meetings of the Municipal Emergency Control Group may be held in-person, or virtually as dictated by the needs of the event. 10 Requests for Assistance Every member municipality of County of Lennox & Addington may request assistance from the County of Lennox & Addington at any time by contacting the County. The request shall not be deemed to be a request that the County assume authority or control of the emergency. The County will activate in support of one or more of the member municipalities if a request for assistance is received. Assistance may also be requested from the Province of Ontario at any time without any loss of control or authority. A request for assistance should be made by contacting the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management. Assistance may also be requested from neighboring municipalities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. Declared County Emergency The Warden, or, in the absence of the Warden, the Deputy Warden, as the Head of Council, is responsible for declaring an emergency. This decision is usually made in consultation with the CAO and other members of the Municipal Emergency Control Group. Authority for declaring an emergency is found in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. In the absence of both the Warden and Deputy Warden, then responsibility to declare falls to the next level within the chain of command. Declaration of an emergency shall be done by notifying the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) by email, phone or fax. An accompanying letter outlining the nature of the emergency and rationale for the declaration should be submitted at the earliest convenience if not done so at the time of declaration. This letter needs to be signed by the Warden or delegate, and be on County letterhead. A template is located in the appendices. Upon declaring an emergency, the Warden should consider notifying:  Members of Council  Mayor/Reeve, as appropriate  Neighbouring community officials, as required  Local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)  Local Member of Parliament (MP)  Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management  Public 11 Municipal Emergency Control Group The Municipal Emergency Control Group shall be the Senior Leadership Team. The names and contact information for Municipal Emergency Control Group members and support staff are outlined in the Emergency Response Plan Appendices. These appendices are confidential. The MECG may fill the following roles within the EOC:  Commander  Liaison Officer  Emergency Information Officer  Safety Officer  Operations Section Chief  Planning Section Chief  Logistics Section Chief  Finance/Administration Section Chief Note: The IMS roles will be filled based on the needs of the emergency. Section Chiefs may activate various functions under their Section as deemed necessary by the emergency. EOC operations may be assisted by the following supporting personnel:  MECG Scribe  MECG Receptionist  Information Technology  GIS Analyst  Other 12 Incident Management System Roles The emergency response will be directed and controlled by the Municipal Emergency Control Group, a group of officials responsible for coordinating the provision of the essential services necessary to minimize the effects of an emergency on the County. The MECG may assume the IMS functions of Command, Operations, Logistics, Planning and Finance/Administration. The MECG can be assisted and supported by other municipal staff who may fill roles within the IMS system as required. EOC Commander (Command) Command Staff - Emergency Information Officer Command Staff - Liaison Officer Command Staff - Safety Officer Operations Section Chief Planning Section Chief Logistics Section Chief Finance/Administration Section Chief The Section Chiefs may activate various functions under their Section as is deemed necessary by the emergency. 13 Municipal Emergency Control Group Responsibilities The Municipal Emergency Control Group is responsible for the following:  Implementing the County emergency response plan in whole or in part to respond to an impending, potential or existing emergency, including mobilizing emergency services, agencies and equipment;  The coordination and direction of County resources used to mitigate the effects of an emergency provided they are not contrary to law;  Ensuring that the EOC is appropriately staffed to mitigate the effects of a given emergency situation;  Advising the Warden regarding requests for assistance from the province, the Federal Government, other Counties and other outside agencies;  Ensuring support to the member municipalities and Incident Commander(s) by offering equipment, staff and resources, as required;  Providing information to the public in regards to County activities and operations during an emergency;  Ordering, coordinating and/or overseeing the evacuation of inhabitants considered to be in danger;  Ensuring the daily operation of the County during the emergency;  Provision of the authorization of expenditures during the emergency and to ensure the proper accounting and cost recovery processes are in place and followed;  Maintaining an operational log detailing the group's decisions and activities;  Demobilizing the County EOC when appropriate;  Conducting and participating in a debriefing, generate an after action report and implement recommendations for improvement in the plan or response capabilities. 14 IMS Functions Command EOC Commander The EOC Commander has overall authority and responsibility for the activities of the EOC, and for ensuring organizational effectiveness. In conjunction with the EOC staff sets out priorities and objectives for each operational period and ensures they are carried out. Additional responsibilities of the EOC Commander include liaising with the Warden (or alternate) and approving emergency information releases. The EOC Commander is also responsible for the direct supervision of the Municipal Emergency Control Group. Command Staff Emergency Information Officer The Emergency Information Officer is responsible for establishing and maintaining media contacts; preparing news releases; coordinating interviews, news conferences, or media briefings; developing public information materials; providing messaging for dissemination to County and EOC staff; establishing communications strategies for internal and external purposes; and liaising and coordinating messages with other Information Officers. Liaison Officer The Liaison Officer is responsible for inviting required or requested agencies to the EOC, as identified by the EOC Commander and Municipal Emergency Control Group, and for maintaining contact with external agencies and other EOCs. The Liaison Officer is also responsible for gathering current situation information from municipal CEMC's and sharing it with the Planning Section and Municipal Emergency Control Group. During the EOC activation various external agencies or organizations may be working with the EOC. Safety Officer The Safety Officer is responsible for monitoring, assessing and recommending modifications to safety conditions and halting unsafe operations in the EOC. Other Additional supporting personnel may be added to the Command Staff. This could include legal advisors and others. 15 Operations The Operations Section maintains direct contact with the site(s) and coordinates the overall site support response, in conjunction with other agencies and/or departments. Operations Section is also responsible for gathering current situation information from the site and sharing it with the Planning Section and the Municipal Emergency Control Group, as appropriate; coordinating resources request from the site level; and directing deployment of all EOC issued resources to the Incident Commander(s). The Operations Section Chief is responsible for expanding and contracting the section as required. Planning The Planning Section collects, processes, evaluates and displays situation information; develops EOC Action Plans and Situation Reports in coordination with other functions; tracks status of EOC issued resources; maintains all EOC documentation; ensures continuity of operations for the County; plans for EOC demobilization, and facilitates the recovery phase. The Planning Section Chief is responsible for expanding and contracting the section as required. Logistics The Logistics Section provides/acquires requested resources including personnel, facilities, equipment and supplies; arranging access to technological and telecommunications resources and support; and providing other support services such as arranging for food and IT support. The Logistics Section Chief is responsible for expanding and contracting the section as required. Finance/Administration The Finance and Administration Section monitors the expenditure process and response and recovery costs. In addition, is responsible for coordinating claims and compensation; contracts and procurement agreements; timekeeping; and cost estimates and analysis. The Finance/Administration Section Chief is responsible for expanding and contracting the section as required. 16 Supporting Agencies Other agencies may be requested through the Liaison Officer, as necessary, to attend the County EOC to assist with coordination of response to member municipalities. Supporting Agencies may include:  Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Ontario  Ontario Provincial Police  County Fire Coordinator  Lennox & Addington County General Hospital  KFL&A Public Health Unit  Conservation Authorities  Representatives from Provincial Ministries with responsibilities for: o Natural Resources o Forestry o Environment o Conservation o Parks o Transportation o Health o Municipal Affairs o Agriculture o Food o Other  Federal Representatives (i.e. DND)  NGOs  Other 17 Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Upon notification of a real or potential emergency, the Municipal Emergency Control Group may report to the Primary Emergency Operation Centre. In the event that this operations centre cannot be used, then the alternate location will be utilized. Upon notification of an emergency the EOC will be started by the first member(s) to attend and they will be assisted as more members arrive. Municipal Emergency Control Group activities will commence as soon as possible, and as members arrive, they will join the operation in progress as fully participating members. It is essential that all members are notified in accordance with the notification procedures. In the event that the primary EOC location cannot be used, members will proceed to the secondary EOC. Additionally, the virtual EOC may be used at any time in place of either in-person option, or in concert with. Operating Cycle The MECG will gather at regular intervals to inform each other of actions taken and problems encountered. These operational briefings will signal the start of a new operational period and a new EOC Action Plan will be developed. The EOC Commander will establish the frequency of meetings and agenda items. Meetings will be kept as brief as possible thus allowing members to carry out their individual responsibilities. The Planning Section Chief will ensure an agenda is prepared and will draft the EOC Incident Action Plan. The following diagram represents the planning cycle for the EOC: