April 15, 2011

County of Lennox & Addington Emergency Preparedness Training Workshop

Lennox & Addington County Council and Senior Management Team participated in an Emergency Management Workshop on April 13, 2011.  The Senior and Elected Officials Workshop was conducted by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) Field Officers Lisa Harvey and Suzanne Carriere.
 
The course focused on Emergency Management, the role of the Community Emergency Management Coordinator and Community Control Group. The presenters outlined the roles and responsibilities of various levels of government during a declared emergency.

The Ontario Emergency Management Civil Protection Act defines an emergency as "A situation or impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise."

Emergency Management in Ontario has five components; prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery

A key message of Emergency Management Ontario and the County of Lennox & Addington is that: Emergency Response begins with the individual, the community, province and finally with the federal government. Emergency management programs stress the importance of having a family plan and, if appropriate, a business continuity plan.

Every household is encouraged to establish a seventy-two hour kit so that the family will be able to meet its basic needs for the first three days of an emergency.

The County of Lennox & Addington's Emergency Services Advisory Committee advises County Council regarding the coordination of emergency services and emergency management programs within the County and its four lower-tier municipalities. It is chaired by the Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk, Larry Keech.

The County of Lennox & Addington Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) is Mark Schjerning, Chief, Emergency Services. Alternate CEMC's are Chris Barry, Deputy Chief, Emergency Services and Mary Anne Evans, Director, Information Services and the County's Emergency Information Officer.

Lennox & Addington County Warden Henry Hogg expressed appreciation to Emergency Management Ontario for their excellent presentation. He stressed that “County Council and Senior Management are committed to consistent efforts to ensure that the county community is prepared for potential emergencies and that the municipality is equipped with the resources and training required to manage an emergency.”

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For further information, please contact:

Mark Schjerning, Chief, Emergency Services
County of Lennox & Addington
309 Bridge Street W., Napanee, Ontario K7R 2G4
613.354.3306 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Larry Keech, Chief Administrative Officer/Clerk
County of Lennox & Addington
97 Thomas Street E., Napanee ON K7R 4B9
613.354.4883 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Mary Anne Evans, Director, Information Services
County of Lennox & Addington
97 Thomas Street E., Napanee ON K7R 4B9
613.354.4883 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it