Emergencies never wait until you’re ready for them.
“That’s why it’s best to be prepared, and to know what resources there are to protect you when the unexpected happens,” said Perry Batchelor, who recently took on the dual role of municipal emergency coordinator (MEC) for the Town of Altona, and the Municipality of Rhineland.
Explaining the duties of that role and how citizens can best prepare for emergencies was the focus of an Emergency Preparedness Session hosted by Batchelor at the Altona Senior Centre on Jan. 17.
Encouraging public awareness, he said, is one of his biggest responsibilities. He also prepares citizens for emergencies through response, mitigation, and recovery.
To illustrate how quickly a situation can change, Batchelor began the session with a newsclip of the F5 tornado that rocked the community of Elie in 2007. Miraculously, despite causing $39 million in damage during its four-minute journey, no one was hurt.
While no amount of planning could have predicted the path of that twister, preparation for the potential aftermath of such an event is vital, Batchelor said.
“It’s all about being prepared. For example, many people don’t realize that the first 72 hours is up to them. If we’re experiencing a disaster, for example, public works could be overwhelmed, and they may not necessarily be able to respond to individual needs if water and sewer are compromised. In situations such as a tornado, emergency resources could be stretched, and people may have to shelter in place and make sure they have food and water for those first 72 hours.”
Batchelor also encouraged attendees to register for Altona Connect.
“If you have a cell phone, you’ll get a text message. If you have a computer, you’ll get an email. If you have a landline, you’ll get a phone call. And you’ll get the information about what we are experiencing, whether it’s flooding or a tornado or a mass casualty event.
“There’s no cost for this program. It just involves going to the Town of Altona or the Municipality of Rhineland website and signing up. It provides information and updates, so people will continuously be told how things are going, or if a state of emergency is declared, and when that declaration is rescinded. To me, it’s a no-brainer.”
There are currently 1,000 individuals registered with the program, and Batchelor said they’d like to see that number go up.
Along with public awareness, Batchelor listed his other duties, which includes the development of an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), annual collective training with the Local Emergency Response Control Group (LERCG) and volunteers with tabletop and live exercises, and developing a business continuity plan with the municipality to determine how they would continue to provide vital services during an emergency.
“I also develop an effective volunteer base. Our community is outstanding for volunteers. In the last flood in 2022, I had phone calls constantly reaching out to help. I think we’re way ahead of the game because we’ve already done so much volunteering in other areas.”
He must also present an annual review of the risk analysis featuring a possible emergency scenario, as well as an annual review of the emergency plan, budget, and succession plan.
“As part of our succession planning, we’ve appointed Barry Friesen as our assistant municipal emergency coordinator. He has tons of experience in emergency management and it’s great to keep that role local.”
In terms of mitigation, Batchelor said, “I think we’ve done a good job preparing our communities for emergencies, but there’s always room for improvement.
“We’ll continue to chip away at some of the areas that I know are a potential liability. In terms of flooding, it would be great to raise 9th St., where much of the flooding occurred in 2022. The southwest drainage project is close to complete, with the potential for another phase there.”
“And right now, one of the projects is to get auxiliary power for the Pioneer Centre. In the event of an emergency and it becomes our reception centre, we’ll need power. Overall, we’ve got the outdoor warning siren, we’ve got a lot of auxiliary power to our key infrastructure, but we do have a few gaps.
“I’m grateful to both councils and CAO’s for working with me on that. We’ll continue to do our best to look after everyone.”
Session attendee John Harder of Altona says he enjoyed the presentation.
“I saw the devastation a tornado can cause when one of them came through a few miles north of our place near Lowe Farm. My boys and I helped with the clean up. There were steel granaries that had been bolted down, and they were all scattered around. And on a farm nearby, the roof of a barn was ripped off. It’s important for people to learn more about what can happen during a tornado, and what you can do to prepare.”
