Emergency Management and Preparedness Training

Emergency Management and Preparedness

Emergencies and Emergency Management

• Emergency:
  • Present event requiring quick coordination involving people/property to protect health and safety of people or limit damage to property or the environment
• Types
  • Nature and human caused
    • Weather, fies, chemicals, floods, earthquakes, nuclear, spills, cyber, storm, pandemic, transportation accidents, construction failures, terrorism
  • Accidental or deliberate
• Phases
  • 1. Warning - public informed, volunteers may need to standby or start plans
  • 2. Impact - emergency begins
  • 3. Response - actions, activities to reduce or stop social, human, environmental effects of emergency
    • Could be fire suppression, sandbags, medical services, evacuation, feeding and housing of people, road closers, maintenance and more
  • 4. Recovery - restoration, rebuild, clean up
  • 5. Rehabilitation - impact assessment and analysis, incident stress management, lessons learned to prepare for future

Government Roles and Responsibilities

• Most emergency are local, managed by First Nation or municipality where it occurs

• In Canada, each province and territory has an emergency management organization (EMO) to prompt and provide prompt response and coordination in emergencies

• Federal - provides support if lower regions need help and only when requested or in federal jurisdiction

• Provincial - coordinate programs and implementation of emergency programs, supports local organizations, can declare emergencies

• Municipal - implement EMO and program, complete mandatory annual programs

• Individual - responsible for own safety, preparedness and health - individuals and families must take care of themselves for at 72 hours in an emergency

Emergency Plans

Requirements:

• Family communications plan
  • Text, social media, phone call
  • Alternative contacts outside your region
  • Record emergency contacts
• Evacuation Plan
  • Route
  • 2 safe locations to go to
    • e.g. library, mall, outside of neighbourhood location
  • Survival kit
• Emergency numbers
  • Teach children how to call 911 and other people they may need to call
  • 911, tele-health, poison control, family & friends, insurance / utilities
• Fire and other safety
  • Smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors
  • Review local emergency plans
• Utility shut-off procedure
  • Adults and older children should know how to turn off utilities like water, electricity, gas
  • Record instructions
• Important documents
  • Identifications
  • Keep with plan / survival kit or safe place
• Planning for special needs
  • Children, elderly, disabled, pets, medication

Emergency Survival Kit

See Home Emergency Preparedness Kits - Home Emergency Preparedness Kits

Emergency Volunteer Risk Management

• Safety of responders and physical/mental health is a priority:

Volunteer safety

• Use experience of all people on team and safety of all team
  • Wear proper clothing: for weather and activity, unexpected weather and delays, comfort and safety
  • Recommendations: 3 layer clothing system
    • Base - wick moisture away from skin - polypropylene, silk, nylon
    • Insulation - provide ventilation, ok when wet - down, polyester, wool
    • Shell - protect from water, wind - nylon, rubber, gore-tex

• Aware of cold and heat health emergencies
  • See also First Aid - First Aid and First Aid for Environmental Emergencies
• Body Mechanics: lifting
  • Be aware of irritation, sudden events, using maximum physical capacity, high speed weight and intensity
  • Prevention:
    • Exercise regularly
    • Lighten the load
    • Use proper lifting techniques
    • Slow down
    • Remove obstacles
    • Use proper handling equipment
    • Reconfigure your workstation
    • Ask for assistance
• Conflict Resolution
  • See also Peacemaking and de-escalation from Fridays for Future Marshal Training
  • Identify yourself verbally (what you do or who you represent). Be polite, friendly and pleasant.
  • Only get voluntary compliance, anything more is a police matter
  • Likely scenarios:
    • Personal investment in situation
      • Be compassionate, adjust to comply with rules and safety
    • Well intentioned helpers
      • Reason for safety
    • Curious, thrill seeking or opportunism like looters
      • Be firm, order them but inform others during non-compliance
    • Tips:
      • Control your emotions
      • Don’t take it personally
      • Don’t be drawn into a conflict
      • Bring them back to the issue at hand (“I appreciate your feeling, but…”)

Hazard and Risk Awareness

Your safety is required to help others

1. Potential hazards

   • Terrain, victims, fire, wind, electricity, smells/gas, poison, water, people, wildlife

   • First aid saying: “no fire, no wire, no gas, no glass, no bugs, no thugs, no drugs, no wife, no knife”

   • Assessments hazards, people first - use distance, PPE and training to stay safe

   • Hazardous materials common storage places:

     • Stored in homes and sheds
     • Gardening supply stores
     • Dry-cleaning facilities
     • Gas stations
     • Hospitals
     • Waste sites
     • Industrial plants
     • Highway and railroad shipments - Transport Canada requires labeling of hazard symbols and shipping manifests
     • Pipelines

   • Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) provides information on labeling, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and training

   • Workers will be aware of the materials

2. Avoiding Exposure

   • Exposure may be direct, touching, breath, swallowing, punctures
     • Breathing contaminated air - this exposure is the most common
     • Making contact with hazardous materials on a surface
     • Accidental ingestion from contaminated hands

   Prevention:

   • Wear the recommended mask, gloves and other protective clothing
   • Wash hands frequently and thoroughly
   • Call Ontario Poison Centre at 1-800-268-9017 if you’ve been exposed to hazardous materials

3. First on Scene

   • Establish command
   • Control area, prevent others/vehicles from entering
     • Control zone:
       • Hot zone: training and PPE required, direct exposure to hazard
       • Warm zone: training and PPE may be required
       • Cold zone: safe area
   • Wait for responders

Personal Protective Equipment

• Includes: hard hats and helmets, hearing protection, respirators, eye protection, safety boots, high visibility clothing, gloves, fall protection, safety harnesses, life jackets, etc.

• Hard hats and helmets - top, side, and electrical protection, do not modify like with stickers, clean with soap

• Hearing protection (plugs, muffs ) - protect when higher than 80 decibels or frequent noise

• Hand protect (common, latex, vinyl) - protect from chemicals and hard surfaces

• Eye and face protection (glasses, goggles, face shield) - protect from dust, chemicals, objects

• High visibility clothing (vests) - good for spread out deployment of remote areas, traffic

• Coveralls - protect from chemicals, water

• Footwear (boots CSA green triangle approved) - when walking around hazardous sites

• Air purifying respirators (APR) (half/full face) - when there is sufficient oxygen but filtering air from particulates is required, but not protection from gas

Stress Management and Self-Care

Volunteer can be exposed to stressful situations like weather, situations, victims, and senses and team members

1. Stress Types

   • Daily stress
   • Worries related to home life like relationships and family
   • Critical Incident Stress - normal reaction to abnormal events, effects in order of timing they may occur in hours to weeks after incident, over time they should pass
     • Physical
       • Pains, sleep issues, appetite
     • Emotional
       • Negative emotions
     • Cognitive
       • Difficulty concentrating, memory, making decisions
     • Spiritual
       • Questioning events
   • Cumulative stress - built up over time

2. Treatment

   • Allow natural feelings
   • Monitor yourself and others
   • Understand stress from incidents is natural
   • Continue your routines
     • Sleep
     • Diet and healthy eating
     • Relaxation
     • Talking with others
     • Keeping a positive attitude
   • Do not use abuse things like drugs and alcohol
   • Get professional help if reactions are harmful or over 8 weeks, intensive, interfere with life, and/or do not improve

   Supporters of responders should:

   • Be flexible
   • Be available to talk
   • Provide time to sleep, relax, reflect
   • Find time to enjoy
   • Observe changes in feelings
   • Encourage positive strategies
   • Guide them to help if needed
   • Learn about stress before emergencies

   Support Team members with:

   • Show interest and attention
   • Find a safe place to talk
   • Get them something to eat or drink
   • Ask a factual question
   • Validate and normalize their reactions
   • Acknowledge that it will take time

Accessibility and Human Rights

See Accessibility and Human Rights and AODA - Accessibility and Human Rights and AODA

Ontario Human Rights Code

See Ontario Human Rights Code - Ontario Human Rights Code

The Ontario Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code

• The Code and the AODA work together to promote equality and accessibility.
• The human rights principles within the Ontario Human Rights Code help to inform and guide how AODA standards are to be met.
• The Code has primacy and overrides the AODA and other provincial laws when there is a conflict.
• The Code and the AODA are both provincial laws, and both use the same definition of disability.

Exploring the Roots of Racism

See Roots of Racism - Roots of Racism

See Also

Resources

• Ontario Volunteer Corps