• Formed in 2000 to support Alberta municipalities in their response to major emergencies and disasters; AEMA is a founding affiliate member and key stakeholder who supports the efforts of the NGO Council of
Alberta
• Reduce the possibility of duplication of effort among responding member organizations that comes from an uncoordinated response
– Disasters or significant emergencies pose unique challenges for resource management
– Uncontrolled mobilization and over response can be common challenges in disasters
• coordination of response can be significantly complicated
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Purpose of the NGO Council continues to evolve:
• Maintain a reliable, credible and respected Council for members, municipalities and other stakeholders to access and share information
• Provide NGO Executive members to participate in the emergency response network committees and initiatives within Alberta where possible
• Redirect calls to NGO Council members and other stakeholders for support and to provide assistance in times of disaster and emergencies within Alberta
• Develop working relationships with other NGO members, municipalities and additional stakeholders
• Broadly communicate NGO member capacity by maintaining a current NGO
Council Help Book and website
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• Provide trained volunteers/NGO Member agency staff, services and support to the emergency response network within Alberta where possible
– Respond, where capacity allows, to requests for assistance
– Be responsive to agency MOU’s or other formal or informal agreements
• Reduce the duplication of services where possible
– By maintaining regular communication with other NGO members during incident
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• If the Provincial Operations Centre (POC) is activated and if requested, staff the assigned NGO Council seat and forward response information to the GoA
• Advise municipalities as requested
– Volunteer Management
– Donation Management
– Long-Term Recovery, etc…
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Membership on the NGO Council is open to any not-for-profit Non-Government organization which meets the following criteria:
1.
They are not affiliated with any government or government organization
2.
They wish to cooperate with other disaster relief organizations and will subscribe to the “Guidelines for Cooperation”
3.
They offer one or more social or heath services to individuals, families or the general public to meet a legitimate disaster relief need
4.
They agree not to proselytize victims of disaster to any organization, religion, form of belief or cause
5.
They are prepared to offer their services to any community anywhere in
Alberta without promise of reimbursement from outside sources
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NGO’s who participate in the NGO Council must subscribe to these guidelines.
1.
Local Government in Alberta is the first responders to an emergency or disaster and they manage the disaster response within their jurisdiction, for its duration.
2.
Any NGO participating in the NGO Council must be capable of responding to the needs of disaster victims in any community anywhere in Alberta.
(affiliate membership available for local/regional NGO’s)
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3.
The Council provides a forum for the open and free flow of non confidential information and includes, but is not limited to, available resources to aid disaster victims, planned or developing programs in disaster response and recovery and general information on the mandate and purpose of an NGO’s disaster response role.
4.
As the Council is for the sharing of disaster resource information, NGO’s are not required to share information about their day to day operations or clients unless they so choose.
5.
The Council provides a structure for the sharing of information on and cooperation in meeting the need of specific victims and evacuees. NGO’s who subscribe to these guidelines agree that information on specific individuals, families or other persons is not for public knowledge.
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6.
NGO’s will not use disaster events to compete with other NGO Council members for client or donor recognition nor for proselytizing victims of disaster to any organization, religion, form of belief or cause.
7.
In instances of prolonged victim distress arising from a disaster NGO’s agree to cooperate fully in the assessment of, provision of resources for, and meeting of victim needs. However, no NGO is required to share resources that they do not normally provide or do not have available.
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*this list is not exhaustive nor may all resources be available in all cases.
• Community Needs Assessments
• Emergency food and clothing
• First Aid
• Grief Support/Psychological First Aid
• In-kind and Financial Donations Management
• Home & Property Clean-Up and Restoration
• Support of Long-Term Recovery Committees
• Provision of Temporary Shelter
• Repair/Building of Homes
• Victim and Evacuee Identification and Location
• Volunteer Management
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• 75 Seventh-day Adventist churches around the province of Alberta that would we willing to act as shelters or reception centers in times of a disaster.
• Local College in Lacombe (Canadian University College) with a gym facility that can house over 300 people.
• Ability to fully operate Multi-Agency Warehouses if the warehouse or space would be provided along with the relevant resources
• Collection Centers
• Mobile distribution centers
• Over 30 Disaster Response trained Volunteers that can be dispatched in the event of an emergency.
• 28' foot Fifth Wheel Disaster Response Trailer equipped with shelves, sleep space, sink, RV style bathroom, generator, shelves, rakes, cleaning supplies etc.
• Food bank/clothing center in Peers, Lacombe and Red Deer.

The Canadian Convention of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief is Christian love in action – meeting urgent needs of humanity in crisis situations.
The CCSB DR is prepared to offer the following services to anywhere in
Alberta in the event of a major disaster or emergency:
• Feeding
• Power Tool Cleanup
• Flood Restoration
• Rebuilding
Volunteers are available to help individuals and families impacted by a variety of disasters recover from their loss. Skilled and unskilled volunteers are available in such areas as painting, carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, roofing, brick and block laying, landscaping and handyman services.

• The Canadian Red Cross provides individuals or families with emergency food, clothing and shelter for up to 72 hours immediately following all levels of disaster including: individual house fires; apartment evacuations; housing condemnations; and other catastrophes. In addition, the Canadian
Red Cross responds during domestic large scale disasters, such as floods and fires, and is active in long-term recovery work.
• Volunteer Canadian Red Cross Disaster Management Teams respond at any time of the day or night, regardless of the weather. All volunteers are highly trained. All services are provided at no charge.
• We support national and international disaster relief work. In addition to providing urgent emergency services, Canadian Red Cross also offers a family reunification service to local residents who have lost touch with loved ones abroad. Individuals and groups may also call (780) 423-2680 for information on our Emergency Personal Preparedness Programs and
Disaster Social Services Courses.

Mennonite Disaster Service is the disaster response arm of the Mennonite and related churches in Canada and the US. While the main focus is on clean up, repair & rebuilding homes, this activity becomes a means of touching lives and helping people regain faith and wholeness. MDS is a recovery and not an emergency response organization; it provides:
• Cleanup of residences after floods and windstorms
• Repair and rebuilding of owner-occupied homes after floods, windstorms and fires
• Recovery assessment & physical & emotional support

MDS provides volunteer leadership and labour for these activities, not heavy equipment for cleanup. Special emphasis is placed on helping those least able to recover on their own:
» Uninsured
» Elderly
» Disabled
» Widowed/single parent
» Low income

Samaritan’s Purse Canadian Relief Program
Samaritan's Purse independently provides the necessary materials, equipment and leadership, but relies on local volunteers to carry out the relief operations including:
– Home and property clean-up
– Power wash/sanitization
– Roof tarping/minor repair
– Tree clearing
– Debris removal
Samaritan’s Purse prioritizes those most in need including the elderly, those with lower-fixed incomes, or those without insurance.

Samaritan's Purse works with the local municipality to assess the needs and, when possible, provide immediate assistance through partnership with local churches and volunteer organizations.
The Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief Unit is a custom-built trailer, stocked with all of the equipment needed for relief efforts. The back of the trailer houses tools and equipment such as chain saws, pumps, generators, air compressors, ladders, wheelbarrows, and other hand tools. A small office at the front of the trailer serves as a command centre for coordinating volunteer efforts.

The mission of St. John Ambulance is to enable Canadians to improve their health safety and quality of life by providing training and community service.
Services provided by St. John Ambulance:
• Primary patient care to disaster survivors at Reception Centers
• Primary patient care to volunteers who are involved in clean up, repair and rebuilding operations.
• Provide other support as negotiated
Our volunteers are located in seven centers across AB including Edmonton,
Calgary, Red Deer, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge and
Medicine Hat

The Salvation Army provides food, shelter and other assistance to people regardless of age, religious affiliation, gender or race and also responding to acute needs of people involved in disaster situations.
The Salvation Army can respond anywhere in Alberta to assist victims for flood, fire, storms, tornadoes or any other emergency situation – not only during the critical disaster recovery phase but long after the immediate tragedy, rebuilding towns, families and lives that have been affected

In addition to deploying it’s well-equipped mobile canteens, The Salvation Army will send Officers,
Soldiers, Employees and volunteers to:
• Provide meals to victims and emergency response personnel
• Provide clothing and furniture to victims of a disaster
• Provide counseling and critical incident stress debriefing to victims
• Provide visitation to families and individuals who need the support
• Provide emotional and spiritual support for families and individuals who need help
• Provide other help as directed

World Renew Disaster Response Services provides relief and recovery services to people affected by disasters in partnership with community based long term recovery organizations.
• Assist in minor or major repairs and rebuilding of homes
• Provide community needs assessment
• Assist Long Term Recovery Organizations to develop definite recovery systems and programs
These are among the many services the volunteers are willing and ready to provide.
Major strengths of the DRS include community needs assessments and long term recovery.

NGO Council of Alberta
Suite 248
11215 - Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 0L5
Brent Davis (Chair)
403-681-1199 bdavis@samaritan.ca
Henry Visscher (Vice Chair, Interim Treasurer)
780-668-0700 hpvisscher@telus.net
Zach Hillman (Secretary)
403-819-4389
Zach.hillman@c-g-r.ca
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