Introduction

The Province of Ontario passed the Emergency Management Act in 2002 which requires all communities (including municipalities) to develop and implement an Emergency Management Program at the “Essential” level by December 2004. The Township of Brock, in co-operation with the Region of Durham Emergency Measures Office (DEMO), has implemented an “Essential” program of emergency management.

Essential Program

The Essential program of Emergency Management, among other matters, requires the municipality to:

• publish an approved emergency response plan;

• identify critical infrastructure;

• complete annual training for the community/emergency operations centre staff;

• conduct an annual exercise to evaluate the emergency plan; and

• develop and implement a public awareness program (approved by the Province)

Emergency Plan

The Township of Brock adopted By-law Number 1750-2002-PP, a by-law which contains the Township Emergency Plan in 2002. This document outlines the roles and responsibilities of Council and staff in the event an emergency is declared by the Mayor. The plan has been used for two declared emergencies: the Gamebridge train derailment and the August Power Blackout in 2003.

Copies of the Plan are available for review in the Municipal Office (Cannington) as well as the three public libraries in Beaverton, Sunderland, and Cannington.

Hazard Identification

There are a number of potential hazards within the municipality which could give rise to the declaration of an emergency:

Natural Hazards:

• Lake Simcoe, Beaver and Talbot Rivers, Whites Creek, Trent-Severn Waterway, as well as numerous tributaries which create the potential for flooding and ice jams;

• Severe weather in the form of cold waves, significant snow fall and freezing rain, high winds, electrical storms, and heat waves.

Technological:

• Communication facilities (land-line and cellular telephones) which is supported by infrastructure (transmission towers, etc.);

• Electrical transmission towers and substations to supply power.

Man-Made:

• Highway Network (Highways 7, 12, 48 as well as well-developed network of Regional and Township roads which support heavy goods movements and seasonal increases in traffic);

• Canadian National Railway (Bala subdivision) which bisects Beaverton and is in close proximity to shoreline residential areas carrying significant volumes of heavy goods and chemicals;

• Infrastructure (buildings, equipment, and bridges).