Emergency preparedness roles discussed at forum
Private and public organizations gathered at a forum Wednesday to talk about how they can work together in emergency situations.
The Peterborough Area Community Safety Leaders Forum connected security, risk and safety leaders to share information on emergency planning, safety and interoperability.
The event, created through a partnership between city police and Peterborough Regional Health Centre, took place at the Loomex Group Building at the Peterborough Airport.
Speakers covered topics such as incident management, pandemic preparedness, risk analysis, public and private services interoperability and provincial law enforcement partnerships.
City police Insp. Dan Smith said large-scale disasters can happen anywhere, so it’s important to know what resources are available before disaster strikes.
“It’s about planning – as the old saying goes, fail to plan, plan to fail,” Smith said.
With private security companies already in place in malls, postsecondary schools and the hospital, for example, communication between security companies and public-emergency services are vital.
The forum was a way for the private and public organizations to connect to discuss emergency preparedness.
And communication is key to the success of any major incident, Smith said.
“If we can communicate in advance of a major situation, than ... when the incident happens, people know the right people to call at the right time and get the right resources to any sort of emergency situation,” he said.
Brett White, security site coordinator at PRHC, said the event was an opportunity for organizations to learn about the roles each other would play in a pandemic or emergency.
That puts everyone on the same page, which takes out the guess work of where to turn during a stressful situation, he said.
“We want people to walk away with a better understanding how the community as a whole would respond in a large event,” White said.