Evaluations Rate Municipal Emergency Preparedness--Western Region

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION--Evaluations Rate Municipal Emergency Preparedness

This is the last in a series of feature articles leading up to Emergency Preparedness Week, May 6-12.

A municipality may be fully compliant with the Emergency Measures Act but may not be prepared to respond to an emergency. An evaluation process administered by Nova Scotia's Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) determines actual preparedness.

"Evaluating municipal emergency plans allows us to better assess the readiness of municipal governments to deal with emergencies," said John Perkins, federal/provincial liaison officer for EMO. "It also allows us to provide constructive guidance to municipalities on where improvements can be made in their emergency planning systems."

Nova Scotia is the only province in Canada that uses a formal process to evaluate the emergency preparedness of its municipalities.

The current evaluation process was developed in 2000-01 and was given to the municipalities for review. Feedback from across the province has helped improve the process. Each municipality now has the new evaluation package, which will be used this year for the first time.

The new evaluation process is much more detailed, assessing 10 areas of emergency preparedness -- up from five -- and removing room for misinterpretation. Areas such as commitment, testing and review, telecommunications planning and emergency management training are evaluated. Each area is composed of specific steps. This detail will allow EMO to deliver an appropriate rating and to assess readiness more consistently. Municipalities are rated as excellent, good, fair or poor.

The evaluation process begins with an assessment by the municipality's emergency measures co-ordinator. The province's zone controller does the same assessment and the two meet to discuss the results. The results are then given to EMO to be rated.

By the end of 2002, all evaluations will be complete. Each municipality will receive a rating from the minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Act. In addition to providing the rating, EMO will identify specific areas that need improvement.

Bob Palmer is the emergency measures co-ordinator for the Town of Bridgewater, the Municipality of Lunenburg and the Municipality of Chester in the Western Zone. Both the Town of Bridgewater and Municipality of Lunenburg were rated "excellent" in 2000. Mr. Palmer started the new process by doing the assessment.

"It gives guidelines of what should be in place and how it should be carried out," said Mr. Palmer. "If you follow it closely you'll meet your goals, and if you don't meet them, you can identify where you need work."

Mr. Perkins said EMO has received positive feedback from municipalities who say the evaluation process is an important tool.

"The evaluation highlights areas the municipalities hadn't recognized as being important," said Mr. Perkins.

The evaluations will be completed every year. The goal is to have 90 per cent of municipalities achieve a rating of good or excellent by 2004.

Emergency Preparedness Week takes place May 6-12 with participation from every province and territory. This year's theme is Keeping Canada Safe -- Emergency Preparedness Begins with YOU.

For more information, visit the Emergency Measures Organization Web site at www.gov.ns.ca/emo/ .