City’s mock emergency exercise focuses on flood
Like plotting convoy movements in the Battle of the Atlantic, Medicine Hat’s emergency response officials took over the stage at the Esplanade on Wednesday to map out a potential flood response in the city.
It was part of an annual emergency response exercise to refresh plans, delineate authority and deploy resources where needed in case of a real state of emergency.
“There’s been 200 millimetres (eight inches) of rain in the Rockies and we’re now on a flood warning for the South Saskatchewan River,” said deputy fire chief Chad Eakins, incident commander, to start off the exercise at a mock press conference.
“The water will rise by five metres, and based on past experience, we’re expecting major flooding.”
That didn’t happen, but had it, officials would begin working off standing plans to prepare for high water, then work through contingencies as required.
City emergency management director Merrick Brown, speaking about the exercise, said it was important.
“It’s a good opportunity for all of our staff who are involved in a flood response to practise and understand the co-ordination of how we work together in field operations to emergency social services to management,” he said.
“We’re simulating resources being deployed, and co-ordinating that with an emergency operations centre, then we inject some events, like staff shortage or road closures, for them to react to.
“It’s the best place to do it, in a learning environment.”
The exercise was centred at the Esplanade for convenience, and use of the stage as a simulated flood plain, but three alternate locations to set up command stations in the city are available depending on the specific geography of the event.
Several years ago a mock exercise, held biannually, contemplated a large chemical release, and another past event involved a train derailment.
About 60 city staffers took part in this week’s exercise, in which they ran through procedures and duties as if a flood emergency had been predicted by Alberta River monitoring centre.
Planning, utility, municipal works, even finance and social service co-ordinators reacted to the initial declaration of a local state of emergency, then proceeded to take actions and react to emerging problems introduced throughout the day, to the emergency passing and deactivation.
The scenario involved a repeat of 2013 flooding levels, which at the time, forced the evacuation of 2,500 addresses, including the main police station, closed three bridges to traffic and eventually badly damaged 500 homes.
Nine years later, a large berm system has been completed, but officials said the response might look very similar. Those in low-laying areas, or who were evacuated in 2013, should be ready to leave again.
Storm sewer outfalls would have to be closed, flood gates on River Road, Riverside and Lions Parks would need to go up, and temporary floodwalls prepared to go on top of berms or fill in at low spots.
A reception centre would be opened, bridges monitored and an alternate health centre prepared on the north side of the river.
A full-scale mock exercise, including deploying work crews and first responders to various locations on a limited scale, is typically held every two years.