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Lessons learned from Fiona: Meeting highlights need to share news, resources between P.E.I. municipalities in emergencies

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS

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ST. PETERS BAY, P.E.I. — Communication and co-operation are the keys to success in emergency preparation and response, and each group can do higher to work as a group earlier than and after catastrophe strikes.

That was the message at a Feb. 11 assembly of the P.E I. Federation of Municipalities, the place representatives from throughout P.E.I. heard about classes realized after post-tropical storm Fiona.

The Emergency Measures Group drills for the worst potential outcomes, however Fiona nonetheless left the province with issues they didn’t count on, stated Tanya Mullally, performing director of public security for EMO, throughout a presentation on the Feb. 11 occasion, which was held in St. Peter’s Bay.

“Fiona actually was one thing that was above and past what anybody may have anticipated would occur. We’ve achieved workout routines provincially with all of our stakeholders, and even a few of our regional stakeholders, round full energy outage. However, you all the time type of walked away and went, ‘I hope that by no means occurs.’”

Robust relationships and sharing sources between communities are important in catastrophe response and require everybody concerned to tell one another, Mullally stated.

Whereas loads of this occurred throughout Fiona, EMO depends an excessive amount of on social media for updates from municipalities. EMO wants to listen to straight from these locations, quite than discovering it on-line, she stated.

Mullally additionally outlined how municipal emergency planning works, with every municipality maintaining an authorised plan and co-ordinating group. Emergency responses, like these for Fiona, COVID-19 or different current points, all the time want revision and updating, she stated.


“We’re not likely turning to each municipality to say you need to present all of it. We’re saying we have to work collectively to rationalize and to offer what’s wanted to every group based mostly on the wants and sources.” – Christine MacKinnon


Federation

Christine MacKinnon, director of municipal affairs with the Division of Fisheries and Communities, spoke following Mullally and went over some points her division noticed throughout Fiona.

Everybody in P.E.I. was in the identical storm for Fiona however not all in the identical boat, MacKinnon stated, noting the variance in how a lot every group was impacted.

P.E.I. may have a look at a mannequin like that of Nova Scotia, the place reception centres supply two ranges of response: important, for primary wants like charging and water; and enhanced, for main points like housing and meals, MacKinnon stated.

“We’re not likely turning to each municipality to say you need to present all of it. We’re saying we have to work collectively to rationalize and to offer what’s wanted to every group based mostly on the wants and sources.”

Relating to reception centres, MacKinnon stated some municipalities had “warming centres” of their municipal emergency plan earlier than Fiona. This meant the websites didn’t open as a result of warming service was not wanted in October, she stated.

Municipalities have been additionally not ready for a way lengthy the facility failures lasted or for the variety of individuals displaced and in want of meals, MacKinnon stated.

Tanya Mullally, acting director of public safety for P.E.I.’s Emergency Measures Organization, says emergency planning always needs revision and updating. - Logan MacLean/SaltWire Network
Tanya Mullally, performing director of public security for P.E.I.’s Emergency Measures Group, says emergency planning all the time wants revision and updating. – Logan MacLean/SaltWire Community

Course of

After the displays, SaltWire Community requested Mullally in regards to the course of for declaring an emergency.

There are literally two processes, she stated.

Essentially the most severe — and one of many final — measures EMO can take is asking a provincial state of emergency to get extra-legal powers.

Municipalities, then again, can declare their very own emergency and open warming/reception centres at any time, she stated.


Logan MacLean is a variety reporter with the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island. He might be reached by e mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @loganmaclean94.



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