Emergency and Issues Management
Presented by: Monique Doiron, Director, Governance, & JoAnn Ford, Emergency Management
Coordinator, Individual Affairs and Government Relations (GIAGR)
Presented to: Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation, South Tribal Council and
Large/unaffiliated First Nations Meeting, October 26-27, 2011
BACKGROUND:
• AANDC is responsible for emergency management in First Nations.
• In 2008 AANDC recognized the need for an Emergency & Issues Management
Unit (EIM) in each region.
• Currently the EIM unit is staffed with 3 FTE headed up by the Director
Governance, Individual Affairs and Government Relations (GIAGR).
• The EIM unit staff have been trained and follow the Incident Command Systems
(ICS) for emergencies and issue management.
• The ICS structure consists of Command, Operations, Planning, Logistics and
Finance and Administration. During an emergency each of the EIM staff take
leadership in one or more of these roles. ICS uses principles that are proven to
improve efficiency and effectiveness in emergency response.
• Emergency Management is about partnerships and relationships working
together with other levels of governments and non government organizations to
ensure the health and safety of First Nation communities.
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4 Pillars of Emergency Management:
MITIGATION:
Support all hazard risk identification
Support measures to reduce the impacts of emergencies
Work collaboratively with partners
PREPAREDNESS:
Assist in developing policies, plans, procedures, and guidelines
Support the preparation, maintenance, testing, and implementation of Emergency Plans
In First Nations
RESPONSE:
Provide situational awareness
Co-ordinate with partners
RECOVERY
Identify recovery projects
Implement after action reporting
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Emergency Management Plans in First Nations Communities:
• First Nations communities are responsible for developing and
implementing emergency management plans.
• INAC supports the development, testing and updating of plans.
• Nationally, 75% of First Nations communities in Canada have
emergency management plans.
• In Ontario Region, 56% (unconfirmed) of First Nations communities
have emergency management plans.
• Ontario Region has developed a comprehensive strategy to increase
the number of emergency plans in First Nations.
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Roles and Responsibilities
• Works with Ontario First Nations Technical Services Corporation to assist in
training, risk assessment, and the development, and exercising of Emergency
Plans in First Nation communities.
• Manage the response to issues and/or emergencies involving First Nations as
they arise.
• Works closely with Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to ensure fire
suppression activities are undertaken in First Nation communities.
• Coordinates with Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) to ensure the safe
evacuation of First Nation Community members.
• During an evacuation AANDC deploys a representative to the Provincial
Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) to liaison and problem solve with various
partners.
• AANDC deploys Surge Capacity staff who are trained in Basic Emergency
Management to act as Field Liaison’s in each Host Community to assist both the
First Nation members and the municipality.
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Roles and Responsibilities cont…
• Works with external partners (EMO, COO and First Nation reps) on the
development and maintenance of the JEMS (Joint Emergency Management
Steering Committee) Service Standards manual. This manual provides
information to stakeholders and host communities, as well as outlines the roles
and responsibilities of participating agencies and authorities during an
evacuation.
• Works with Chiefs of Ontario (COO) and Health Canada (HC) on the joint
planning and response efforts for the possibility of a pandemic in First Nations
(i.e. business continuity, essential services, AANDC program delivery).
• When a First Nation is evacuated the EIM unit ensures agreements are in place
with host communities to provide appropriate accommodations, meals, and all
health and safety issues are addressed in accordance with the JEMS service
standards.
• Participate in the planning and implementation of multi-departmental emergency
plan testing (i.e. Eabametoong, Trillium Guardian – G8/G20 Summits, Regional
Business Continuity Plan testing etc).
• Participate with the Province and Mushkegowuk Tribal Council in the annual
James Bay Flood Watch Program.
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Partners:
• First Nations, Tribal Councils (TC), Provincial Territorial Organizations (PTOs)
• Province: EMO, MNR, MAA, MHLTC, MTO
• Municipalities
• Federal: Public Safety, Health Canada, DND (JTFC)
• Law Enforcement: OPP, NAPS, APS
• NGO: Red Cross
• Internal Directorates and senior officials
Good partnerships based on effective collaboration, coordination, and
communications are key to effective emergency management.
EIM Unit leads the shared partnership among many program areas within the
AANDC. The unit uses the technical expertise from all directorates to ensure the
implementation of a all hazards emergency program
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Key Events
• Some of the key events the EIM unit deals with are:
– Wildland interface/urban interface fires
– Flooding
– Protests, including peaceful demonstrations, marches, rallies, blockades, occupations
and traffic slowdowns
– Pandemic Planning activities and response
– First Nation emergency preparedness, including, but not limited to training, development
of EM plans, and exercising of EM plans
– Post event activities, including recovery, after action reporting, and improvement plans
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Total Number of incidents in 2009-2010 by Type
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Total Number of Protests in 2009-2010 by Region and Reason
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Coordination Structure:
The AANDC coordination structure clearly defines the operational lines between Region, HQ, Provincial Management Organization, and Government
Operations Centre
Government
Operations Centre
INAC HQ Operations
Centre
Liaison
Officer
Department of Public
Safety Canada
Comms
INAC Regional EM
Operations Centres
Provincial/
Territorial Emergency
Management Organizations
Support Organizations
First Nations
Command
Operations
Planning
Logistics
Administration
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Forest Fires 2011:
• In July 2011, there were 29 First Nations communities in the Far North on high
alert due to forest fires threatening their communities.
• 11 First Nations were either fully or partially evacuated into 14 host communities
throughout the Province.
• The total number of persons evacuated was 4023.
• AANDC deployed 65 surge capacity staff to each host community to ensure the
health, safety and needs of the First Nations evacuees.
• The First Nations who were evacuated were:
– Cat Lake, Deer Lake, Eabametoong, Kasabonika Lake, Keewaywin, Kingfisher Lake,
Koocheching, Mishkeegogamang, North Spirit Lake, Sandy Lake, Wawakepewin.
• The host communities were:
– Arthur, Dryden, Greenstone/Longlac, Ignace, Kapuskasing, Marathon, Matachewan,
Moosonee, Ottawa, Sioux Lookout, Smith Falls, Thunder Bay, Wawa, Winnipeg.
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Forest Fires 2011 cont…
• AANDC responded immediately, and maintained daily contact with the affected
First Nation’s leadership, host communities, and federal/provincial agencies who
all worked together to safely evacuate, shelter and repatriate members back to
their communities.
• Eabametoong First Nation advised that their recently completed Emergency Plan
(April 2011) was utilized and assisted them in ensuring that the evacuation
proceeded without incident as everyone knew their roles and responsibilities
during the emergency.
• This highlights, the importance of First Nations having a community emergency
plan which allows to be familiar with their respective roles and responsibilities
during an evacuation.
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