In case of emergency, find a way to get along
By Chris Simon

Photo by Chris Simon Ernest Hills, a field officer with Emergency Management Ontario, gives a presentation on cooperation to Innisfil town staff and local media, during a training seminar in Lefroy Tuesday. The seminar aimed to improve relations between town and its media during emergency situations.

It's about getting the message across.

Several members of the Town of Innisfil's administration, along with some local media, participated in an emergency training session in Lefroy Wednesday.

The session, which was hosted by Emergency Management Ontario, aimed to develop a stronger working relationship between the town and its media sources, should an emergency situation erupt.

That way, vital information gets out to residents as quickly and accurately as possible, said EMO field officer Ernest Hills.

"When working with the media, you're trying to get the message out," he said. "The broad implications (of a disaster), public safety (and) health, these thing can potentially be impacted."

Although the chances of disaster being declared are relatively low, each municipality in Ontario is required to have an emergency plan. The province, and the Simcoe County region, are faced with several potential emergency situations, said Hills.

Ontario has the seventh largest population of any province or state in North America.

In total, about 40 per cent of Canadians live in the province. Along with a large population, the province manufactures about 50 per cent of Canada's chemicals, and has 21 nuclear reactors online.

About 60 per cent of Canada's road and rail collisions take place in Ontario.

However, several natural disasters could also spark an emergency, said Hills.

The province averages 14 tornadoes, 125 potentially severe storms and between 1,500 to 2,000 forest fires each year. Ontario also rests atop fault lines, while the thousands of lakes and rivers within the province often risk flooding, he said.

"In a disaster, what we're dealing with is not the typical day-to-day emergencies like house fires and car accidents," he said. "We're talking about situations that impact all of the typical standards or involvement in the community that people actively enjoy. There are a whole bunch of social services that come into play."

Town CAO Larry Allison says the session was informative and important. Innisfil already has an emergency plan. However, there's a need for understanding between the town and local media.

"There is a very defined role the municipality has in ensuring we are prepared for any kind of eventuality," he said. "Now that that core document is in place, what we're trying to do is add layers to it. We clearly realize that to get that information out to the community in an effective way, we need to establish a relationship with the various forms of media. This is a way to break down some means of communication, and understand, going forward, what each side does need."

Municipalities must be prepared for an emergency, in order to prevent unnecessary panic and property damage. However, getting that message to the public, through the media, plays a significant role, said Hills.

"There are ways you can mitigate the impact of a disaster," he said. "For a decade or more, you've been one of the fastest growing areas in the country. You've got these huge subdivisions going in, and it's incumbent on you to be prepared, in the event some disaster or natural occurrence happens, to be able to protect and provide for your residents."