Dates: April 5th & 6th
Where: The Centre
Time: 4-5pm

This tabletop exercise, designed especially for the Northwest Response Forum, will explore first response to a natural disaster in the City of Dryden and will also encompass short-term hosting and registering opportunities.

To register for IMS 910, the follow-up to 2009′s IMS 100 & IMS 200 training, indicate your participation on the online conference registration form.

IMS 910- Basic Incident Management System Instructor
This course will prepare you to deliver and administer the IMS 200 in your jurisdiction/organization. Those completing the program will be registered as IMS 200 instructors.

Pre-requisite:
IMS 100- Introduction to Incident Management System
IMS 200- Basic Incident Management System
Designated as the individual responsible for providing IMS training for their organization

Delivery: Classroom by provincially approved instructors

Brian has a certificate in Occupational Health & Safety from the University of Manitoba, a Bachelor of Arts from Brandon University and a Master of Rural Development degree from Brandon University and is an Associate Business Continuity Professional. Brian believes everyone has a role to play in managing emergencies and sees public awareness as a key element in any emergency preparedness program.

The Brandon Emergency Support Team was created in 1998 with a goal of educating residents so they know what to do in an emergency. This presentation explains the formation of B.E.S.T. and its work with the community to improve preparedness. Organizational resiliency is demonstrated through discussion of a variety of ventures.

Northwestern Ontario is no stranger to damaging summer storms. Recent years have seen occurrences of tornadoes, damaging windstorms, hail and flooding rains in many parts of the Northwest. Join Environment Canada Warning Preparedness Meteorologist Geoff Coulson as he talks about some of the more noteworthy summer weather events of the last number of years. Geoff will also discuss the factors that are needed for severe thunderstorms to form and how you can stay on top of developing weather situations through Environment Canada’s weather website at weatheroffice.gc.ca or its Weatheradio broadcast network.

The impact of a disaster is often so catastrophic that no level of government, community agency, organization or group can provide all of the services required. Traditionally, organizations turn to volunteers to fill these gaps in service. The challenge is mobilizing not only the current volunteer force, but being prepared to tap into the resources of networks and community volunteers that may converge upon an organization in a time of need. Screening, assessing skills for placements, and orientating volunteers in a timely way becomes paramount. The manager must have clearly defined roles for volunteers yet remain flexible to the changing dynamics of the disaster.

Using the Incident Command System (ISC), this workshop will provide guiding principles, suggested induction and screening practices and typical job descriptions for a health care setting to support disaster mitigation, preparedness, and response and recovery efforts. This workshop will also be of value to organizations from any sector engaging volunteers to support Disaster Management activities.

• Customers’ requirements for information security including: policies, processes, procedures and controls;
• SAS 70 /S.5970 audit program including scope;
• Customer compliance requirements with respect to other standards and certifications (such as ISO, PIPEDA, ITIL, COBIT) to meet contractual requirements.

Since joining MTS Allstream in 2001, she has worked with a wide variety of quality initiatives including developing a Balanced Scorecard and Customer Driven Enterprise Process Model. Prior to joining Allstream, Ms. West was Operations Leader and Quality Leader for APW (Allied Power) Milton operation, producing ATM machines for the Banking industry. Ms West also gained experience in Process and Software Management in the Computer Industry in the 11 years spent at Westinghouse Canada as Quality Manager for the Defence Industry Arm.

Ms. West has been a volunteer with the Canadian Red Cross for 25 years; Ella is an Instructor Trainer for Canadian Red Cross Disaster Management and is an active member of the Disaster Response Team. She has deployed in Disaster Management as Team Leader and Operations Leader in Canada, United States and most recently in Sri Lanka (for the Tsunami).

Ella West, Emergency Lodging, Shelter Management

The objective of the Emergency Lodging service is to provide, as quickly as possible, safe, temporary lodging to persons in need of this service in a disaster or emergency.
After taking this workshop, participants will understand the significance of:

• The emergency lodging service and the services/roles required to support it.
• The procedures required to obtain and organize the lodging facility, human and material resources.
• Adherence to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) guidelines for the emergency lodging service.
• The establishment and maintenance of accurate records and appropriate reports.
• Collaboration with stakeholders and partners to ensure and effective lodging service.

John gained a wealth of experience in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Management during his years as a paramedic in Massachusetts and training with the US Coast Guard’s Search & Rescue team.

Prior to joining the Red Cross, John was a private consultant in Toronto with a primary focus on business continuity planning, Health & Safety and corporate emergency plan development.

John’s consulting business allowed him to serve as a disaster response volunteer for close to five years prior to selling his business to join the Red Cross as a staff member. In his work with the Red Cross and with other organizations, he has been involved in the response to 9/11, SARS, several American Hurricanes, the Peterborough flood, multiple evacuations of First Nation Communities and was provincial lead in the coordination of the receiving of Canadians fleeing from the conflict in Lebanon/Israel (summer of 2006). He was also the Red Cross EOC Manager during the initial response to the 2004 Tsunami.

John has been actively engaged in the continuing development of the Emergency Management profession, working with the International Association of Emergency Managers as well as being a subject matter expert on the Advisory Committee for the development of the CSA Emergency Management Standard Z1600.

During his tenure as Provincial Director, he has focused on internal capacity building and the strengthening of key provincial relationships. John has also been a strong advocate and leader for the consideration of those with special needs and vulnerable populations in respect to emergency planning and response.

W.A. (Bill) Blackborow is the President and CEO, Municipal Health and Safety Association. Bill’s career includes progressive Leadership roles in Operations, Human Resources and Health and Safety. These roles have been held in both National and International Organizations that span Manufacturing, the Industrial Service Sector and Health Care (British Columbia). In parallel with his career, Bill progressed through the volunteer structure of the Industrial Accident Prevention Association (IAPA) and is a past member and Chair of the IAPA Board of Directors. Along with his current role as President and CEO, Municipal Health and Safety Association, Bill is an executive member of the Ontario Health and Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO).

OHSCO is comprised of leadership personnel from the WSIB, Ministry of Labour, the Health and Safety Associations and the Institute for Work and Health. Bill is a recognized speaker has presented at Conferences across Canada, throughout the United States and in Hong Kong China. Bill has been married to Diane for thirty seven years, and they continue to enjoy their family life with their four children.

In Mr. Blackborow’s presentation, he will cover many of the threats we face each day, both natural and man made. He will discuss the various scenarios we know about but also add a different twist by addressing the safety needs of the responders. During Mr. Blackborow’s introduction, he will also cover the Province’s Prevention System update with respect to focus areas from the WSIB, Ministry of Labour and the Health and Safety Associations.

Suzanne Bernier, CEM, CBCP
Suzanne has recently returned from New York City, where she was commissioned by the United Nations Headquarters to develop and run the first joint pandemic tabletop exercise for all New York-based UN organizations.

In her normal role as Emergency Management Program Coordinator for Ontario’s Workplace Safety & Insurance Board, she developed and continues to lead the organization’s Business Continuity, Emergency Management and Pandemic plans and programs.

Suzanne has been internationally recognized for her work in helping organizations plan for a possible pandemic, and has been a guest speaker on pandemic planning at conferences across Canada, the US and Europe.

Since 2007, Suzanne has been a volunteer with the “Continuity Cares” rebuilding initiative in New Orleans, returning annually to help rebuild local fire halls and residential homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Suzanne has worked in the field of emergency management for over 12 years, having worked for Emergency Management Ontario, Ontario Power Generation and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and is a member of Canada’s National Council on Emergency Management. She is also one of a select few Canadians to receive dual designation as Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International association of Emergency Managers, and Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) through Disaster Recovery Institute International.

In 1997, Suzanne became Ontario’s first female Emergency Management Field Officer for Emergency Management Ontario (EMO). While at EMO, she helped design, control, evaluate and participated in numerous international, federal, provincial and municipal disaster exercises. She also responded to real emergencies across the province, where she participated as a member of the Control Group at various federal, provincial and municipal Emergency Operations Centres. In recognition of her response work during the 1998 Ice Storm in Eastern Ontario, Suzanne received the Amethyst Award for Outstanding Achievement on behalf of the Government of Ontario.

Ralph Wheeler is the current Director of the Aviation and Forest Fire Management Branch (AFFMB). Since joining the OPS in 1978, Ralph has held a variety of leadership positions including Manager of Boreal Science and Operations Manager, Northwest Region, and became AFFMB Director in January 2007. Ralph’s extensive career with MNR includes experience in the areas of environmental assessment, enforcement, compliance, human resources, asset management, finance and administration, research, science and transfer services. He is a graduate of Sir Sandford Fleming College.

As Director for AFFM, Ralph is responsible for the development and delivery of Ministry of Natural Resources fire management, aviation services and emergency management program through a decentralized infrastructure across northern and south/central Ontario.

Ralph will provide a thought provoking keynote address that focuses on the Ministry of Natural Resources Emergency Management Program.