Communities practise wildfire emergency response
The province holds an annual emergency management exercise to improve disaster response; this year’s scenario is a forest wildfire that moves rapidly through rural communities to a large urban centre.
Representatives from all levels of government, emergency management agencies, industry and six communities of the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP) are working together from Feb. 26 to March 2 to review and practise emergency-response plans.
GPREP includes the City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie, Town of Beaverlodge, Town of Sexsmith, Town of Wembley and the Village of Hythe.
“Alberta is a leader in emergency management because we understand the importance of preparation. We know you can never be too prepared for disasters, so ongoing training and teamwork is crucial. Training exercises like this one allow communities to work together so we are all better equipped to respond when disaster strikes.”
Shaye Anderson, Minister of Municipal Affairs
“These collaborative exercises are a priority for GPREP to practise and evaluate our emergency response plans. The ability to train with the province and all partners is crucial to clarify the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved, and to mitigate potential disasters.”
Jennifer Wood, program coordinator, Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership
These scenarios provide emergency professionals with the opportunity to pool resources and work together. It also provides an opportunity for coordinators in the Provincial Operations Centre to test their response procedures.
The province has held annual emergency management exercises since 2001 to practise plans, improve response, and better prepare for future disasters.
Albertans can do their part by putting together an emergency kit and signing up for Alberta emergency alerts.