Joint Coordination Committee (JCC)
Teleconference
June 11, 2015
Summary Record
PRESENT
Core Group
(Jurisdiction
Representatives/
Alternates)
Liaison
Working Groups
(Leads)
Guest Speakers
Secretariat
Alberta: Tina Maslyk
British Columbia: Kelli Kryzanowski; Jocelyn Hawse (Alt)
Oregon: Mike Harryman (Chair); Larry Torris (Alternate)
Washington: Mike Smith (Alt)
HSS Region X: Andy Stevermer
PHAC Western Region: Michael Sporwart; Liza Wong
(Alternate)
EM: Mike Smith (US)
EMS: Larry Torris (US);
Enviro PH: Herb Antill (CA)
Sarah Babcock, Office of Health Affairs,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, & James Scala,
Exercise Lead, PHAC: Beyond the Borders Health Initiative
Wayne Dauphinee
Carrie McGee
Amy Sheridan
1. Welcome & Introductions: roll-call by Co-Chair, Mike Harryman.
2. Agenda: call for additional items; confirmation of current agenda (Chair)
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3. Summary Record – April 9, 2014 AGM Meeting
Action: for Summary Record to be adopted as presented. (Confirmed)
4. Significant Events Update – Led by Mike (Co-Chair)
Jurisdictions
Alberta:
 Tina reported that AB Health is busy in wildfire season; there have already been
evacuations of over 5000 people from a rural northern Alberta. One small hospital
was evacuated. All evacuees are home now and no structures were damaged.
There are still wildfires near some oil & gas activities that health is watching very
closely.

There has been a political change in the in province therefore a lot of work is being
done on transitions briefings and training to bring awareness on health emergency
management.
British Columbia:
 Kelli reported that drought conditions throughout much of the Province of British
Columbia have led to an early wildfire season; wildfire Management Branch and
Environment Canada are forecasting of an intense and prolonged wild fire season.

In mid-May the Bobtail Creek wildfire burned near critical communications
infrastructure threatening communications from Prince George right through to
Haida Gwaii. Concerns for communication and possible disruption to 9-11 services
prompted coordinated consequence management advance planning. Luckily, the fire
was contained and infrastructure was not damaged. Additional planning and
communication regarding public health issues relating to smoke continues to be a
major focus.

Planning for Cascadia Rising and BC's concurrent full-scale exercise, Coastal
Response, has started. Planning meetings are being set-up to confirm level of play
and key partners.

BC has completed the BC Nuclear Emergency Plan and planning for a November
orientation workshop underway. A full-scale exercise will be conducted in March or
April in cooperation with Canadian Armed Forces, Health Canada and other key
Stakeholders.

Transitioning from EVD active response and using the vast amount of work done on
this file to conduct planning for communicable outbreaks- Communicable Disease
Outbreak Readiness and Response Plan.
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Oregon:
 Mike reported currently there are 19 counties that have declared drought disasters in
the state, size wise that is over 3/4 of the state.

We are just finishing up with our coordinated planning with our Army/Air National
Guard planners on pre-scripted missions that will become the bases of our ESF #8
Response for the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ).

We are continuing to support the University of Oregon's Meningococcal Outbreak.
As of this date there have been 13K does provided. We are looking at developing a
long-term Incident Action Plan to address next fall incoming classes.
Saskatchewan:
 Garnet reported Saskatchewan, like the other western provinces, is very dry. Most
of our time in the last couple of weeks has seen relative humidity cross-over at
values as low as 5% and temperatures of 24 degrees C;

There has been little rain in the boreal forests and much of the province is running
fire risks of high to extreme with 365 fires today as compared to 157 at this time last
year;

A dry storm on June 7 sparked 41 fires in one night from lightning strikes;

Some precipitation in the past week has allowed the evacuees from a number of
northern communities return to their homes; one hospital was partially evacuated
due to poor air quality in the community. These were high risk respiratory patients
and babes or gravid moms.

Efforts to install a mile of HESCO barrier in central Saskatchewan helped to mitigate
against flooding in the Quill Lakes area.

A recent fire closed a large northern clinic and pharmacy with the loss of equipment
and supplies. Health services were juggled in the community to provide temporary
space for the clinic (130+ patients per day). Components of the NESS Mini-Clinic
were brought in to provide some critical equipment until replacements could be
acquired.

Ministry representatives attended a 3 day Tactical CBRN/e Exercise (TT) at Training
Depot in Regina. The RCMP National CBRN/e Team led and hosted the exercise.
This event also included local first response agencies, ministries, Public Safety
Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces Team.

Ministry representatives attended an Active Shooter / Bomb Threat Seminar hosted
by Emergency Management and Fire Safety, Public Safety Canada. Presentations
included RCMP, Saskatoon and Regina Police EDUs as well as representatives of
the Department of Homeland Security; and Health Emergency Management and the
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Regional Health Authorities hope to work collaboratively to standardize emergency
codes in the province and introduce a new Code Silver for Active Assailants.
Yukon:
 Chris reported that The Yukon had a record amount of Wildfires (90+) in May and
early June. Wildland smoke didn't become an issue. A hot and dry July is forecasted.

Dr. Catherine Elliot was recently deputized in Yukon as a CMOH.
HHS Region X:
Andy reported on three updates for HHS at this time:
1. Completed response to the first hurricane of the season (Typhoon Dolphin) that
threated the US territory of Guam. Fortunately there was no significant impact for
health and medical responders.
2. Monitoring Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) closely and
developing screening criteria.
3. Monitoring the Unaccompanied Alien Children surge across the US-Mexico border.
This is a seasonal migration that was overwhelming in 2014. There are revised plans
to address this surge when it occurs this year.
PHAC Western Region:
 Michael Spowart has joined the team, based out of Vancouver, BC.
Welcome, Michael. He’s PHAC’s Regional Director - Western Region (BC/Alberta).

PHAC has new quarantine officers based in Calgary and Edmonton, AB.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup
monitoring for mass gathering.

Interested in gauging JCC’s level of engagement around Cascadia 2016.
Working Group Updates
EM:
EMS: Mike Smith (WA) informed the group of updating Mass Evacuation plans.
Enviro PH:
Epi & Surveillance:
Risk Comms:
PH Law:
Indigenous H:
PH Labs:
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PNWBHA Secretariat: Wayne provided an update on 2 main areas:
1) 2016 Cross Border Workshop
Wayne Dauphinee requested that consideration be given the location and format
of CBW2016 over the summer break. Recognizing the potential incumbent in
Exercise Cascadia Rising and that BC, WA and OR have major exercise
commitments, Wayne suggested that options for consideration include:
-
a pre-exercise information sharing/ discussion seminar
a health sector mutual assistance TTX; and/or
a post exercise debrief/experience sharing forum.
Wayne further noted that every effort will be made to make the workshop selfsupporting, including: implementation of a registration fee, securing funding
grants; and seeking commercial sponsorship. Mike Harryman suggested that
partnering with another preparedness conference was another option.
Action Required: JCC members be prepared to discuss and approve the
CBW2016 format and location on the September 10th teleconference.
2) Strategic Plan
Wayne Dauphinee advised that the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan had been
circulated to JCC members for review and that comments received have been
appropriately incorporated in v3 which was forwarded with the agenda. He
further indicated that a Timeline had been added as Annex C and would be
distribute to all following the call today.
Action Required: JCC members be prepared to discuss and approve the 20152020 Strategic Plan on the September 10th teleconference.
Mike Harryman has volunteered to reach out to Montana and Idaho about
funding proposal and Strategic Plan prior to our call in September.
5. Sustainable Funding Initiative – led by Co-Chair Mike Harryman
Mike revisited the initiative that was discussed in April at the AGM, and urged members
to discuss options with their leadership during the summer months. Suggestions for
options/dialogue are encouraged; this will be on the JCC agenda again in September.
Attached is the Funding Model discussed in April at the AGM.
6. Strategic Plan & (7) the 2016 CB Workshop – Led by Wayne Dauphinee and Mike
Harrymen
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Much was discussed during the Secretariat and Sustainable Funding discussion
(above). Both documents will be recirculated (and posted on our website), and will be
main agenda items for our September 10th JCC teleconference.
8) Beyond the Borders (BTB) Health Initiative Update – 30 min presentation by
guest speakers, Sarah Babcock (DHS) and James Scala (PHAC).
Sarah provided a background of the BTB for the group. Some highlights:

Signed in Feb 2011 by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper.

Back then, action plan had many shared goals – US, guided by Homeland
Security, and Public Safety Canada.
Four areas of focus were:
a) Security
b) Jobs
c) Law
d) Shared Infrastructure (including health, CBRNE, stockpiles, etc.)
BTB’s timeline: 2012 (Working Groups)
2013 (Activities)
2014 – (Present Recommendations)
The National Privy Council in 2014 created a new work plan with four priorities for BTB:
1. Risk assessment
2. Information Sharing
3. Cross Border Partnerships
4. Interoperability
There have been several White Papers and information on countermeasures produced,
that we hope that can be shared with the JCC.
BTB is now in its “2.0 phase.” Many job and political changes since the original signing
of the agreement in 2011, but SOPs have been reworked and established. Partners are
working on a Charter for US and Canada to be working as partners, as well as a BCP
plan. They are looking at a 3-year, accelerated program. There will be no BTB funding
to any provinces or states playing in Cascadia.
Federal US/CAN partners are also looking to our established network here in the Pacific
North West, and the Cascadia Rising 2016 exercise, as a natural fit to test some of
these objectives.
2.0 GOALS
1. Interoperability
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Movement and tracking patients across borders
Validate all of this through concrete exercise program
Lessons-learned and documented
Collaboration – How do we improve our outreach strategies, building upon all the
work we’ve already done?
We thanked Sarah and James for their time and it was mutual we will stay in touch
about working together regarding BTB and Cascadia.
Wayne suggested there be an update such as this one for the Pan Border
Preparedness Council, so all border health reps can hear federal BTB updates.
Please note that Members can access all PNWBHA information on our PNWBHA
website: http://www.pnwbha.org/
Members’ site access is under the “Member Services” tab, by typing: health453
Attachments:
-
Strategic Plan (June update with Timeline, Annex C)
Sustainable Funding Initiative Model
MERS guiding document from PHAC: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/eriire/coronavirus/index-eng.php
Prepared by: Amy Sheridan, Administrator
APPROVED:
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