Often, disasters seem like a remote possibility – they always seem to happen somewhere else. At anytime however, in any community, a natural or human-caused disaster may occur, requiring a large scale, co-ordinated response. Depending on the nature and scale of the event, the Head of Council of the affected municipality (or the Premier of Ontario) may declare an emergency in order to oversee and co-ordinate the response and recovery. The group which co-ordinates the municipal activities is called the Community Control Group and at a minimum, includes the Head of Council, the municipal clerk or administrator, the police chief, fire chief and representatives from public health, social services, public works and emergency medical services. This group meets at a pre-established Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), located away from the actual disaster site. At the disaster site, an “Emergency Site Manager / Incident Commander” is in charge of co-ordinating resources and developing actions to resolve the emergency situation. The Emergency Site Manager is usually the ranking police or fire official on the scene (depending on the nature of the emergency). In addition to its co-ordinating role, the Community Control Group is also there to support the on-scene responders and obtain any resources or equipment as requested by the Emergency Site Manager.
You can also play a part during an emergency by preparing for your own safety and that of your family. Learn about the potential risks and hazards in your community and make sure everyone in your family knows what to do before, during and after an emergency should disaster strike. Also, prepare to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours during an emergency. In doing so, you can help your community by helping yourself. By preparing for emergencies before they happen, you’ll be better able to respond – if the unexpected happens.
Here are some important tips to keep in mind:
During an emergency, tune to a local radio station to obtain information and instructions from emergency officials. Do as they advise and stay away from the disaster scene. Be prepared to relocate if you are advised to do so and follow all instructions carefully.
The local radio stations serving Lambton County are:
- 1070 AM CHOK / 103.9 FM CHOK
- 99.9 FM CFGX
- 106.3 FM CFHK
During an emergency, do not use your telephone (land line or cellular) unless absolutely necessary. Telephone usage often increases during a disaster and all available telephone lines may be required for emergency purposes. Unnecessary use of telephones may overload the system and cause it to “crash”.
NEVER USE 9-1-1 TO OBTAIN INFORMATION. 9-1-1 SHOULD ONLY BE USED TO REPORT INFORMATION OR TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM POLICE, FIRE OR AMBULANCE. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT 9-1-1 LINES NEVER BE TIED UP BY NON-EMERGENCY CALLS!
Please click on the .pdf files below to learn more about how you can prepare for an emergency.
Home Emergency Preparedness Guide
Home_Emergency_Preparedness_Guide.pdf