Emergency Measures Organization (EMO)

 Estevan Emergency Measures Organization’s (EMO) priority is the safety and preservation of life. The second priority is the protection of the public, city-owned, and privately owned properties.  And the third priority is to quickly bring the situation under control, disrupt as few services as possible, and restore the City to normal as quickly and safely as possible.

Since emergencies will occur, preplanning is necessary.  An emergency plan aims to reduce the risk to life and health the residents may face and reduce the damage to property that often results from an emergency. An urgent need for rapid decisions, shortage of time, and lack of resources and trained personnel can lead to chaos during an emergency.  Time and circumstances in an emergency mean that normal channels of authority and communication cannot be relied upon to function routinely. An emergency plan specifies procedures for handling sudden or unexpected situations. The objective is to be prepared to:

• Prevent fatalities and injuries
• Reduce damage to buildings, stock, and equipment
• Protect the environment and the community
• Accelerate the resumption of normal operations

The EMO team consisting of Emergency Services and a wide range of agencies, works together to provide a coordinated response when an emergency arises in our city, such as severe weather, a train derailment, dangerous goods spill, a pandemic. In addition, the city of Estevan’s Emergency Measures Organization Coordinator works with those agencies to ensure our community is ready to respond to a major emergency or disaster.

Businesses and households must develop their own emergency plans. Our Citizen’s Emergency Quick Reference Guide has tips for you and your family. The emergency plan enables the City to activate an Emergency Operations Centre that will:

• Emergency personnel respond quickly and effectively to potential disasters such as major storms, chemical spills, floods, train derailments or tornados.
• Provide a concentrated assessment and decision-making body that can best utilize all available resources, and if necessary, resources from the Provincial and/or Federal Governments.
• Prioritize recovery goals and objectives.
• Maintain City services to the unaffected portion of the city when able.

Representatives from the EMO team meet regularly to update and review the plan and train and exercise to ensure we can respond to major emergencies of all sizes. In addition, we are in the process of updating our mutual agreements with our surrounding neighbour communities, R.M’s. and Villages, to allow us to assist each other in the event of a major disaster. Another component of the team includes public education programs. For example, each year during Emergency Preparedness Week, Grade 3 school presentations are conducted in schools by Estevan Fire Service, Red Cross and Estevan’s EMO Coordinator to ensure students Know the Risks, Make a Plan, Create an Emergency Kit.

(L-R): Deputy Police Chief Murray Cowan, SaskEnergy Rod Mack, EMO Coordinator Helen Fornwald, Fire Chief Dale Feser, Water Treatment Plant Manager Kevin Sutter, Public Information Offices Sherri Waldegger, City of Estevan Glenys Baerg, City of Estevan Aaron Haygarth, RM of Estevan Kerri Abraham, RM of Estevan Administrator Michelle Dickie, RCMP Jeff Clarke, SaskPower Kelly Perkins, Scribe Rhonda Gillespie, Deputy Fire Chief Rick Davies, Roads and Drainage Manager Norm Mack, St. Josephs Hospital Tara Daoust, Amateur Radio Blair Mowchenko, City of Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig, Reception Centre Manager Erin Wilson, City Engineer Kiflom Weldeab, Water Security Agency Paul Mwale, Emergency Management Fire Safety Ryan Norton and Estevan Police Chief Paul Ladouceur.

MISSING: Emergency Management Services Gene Stephany, City Manager Jeff Ward, Alternate Director of Emergency Operations Judy Pilloud, Mental Health Marlene Salmers, Human Resources Sharon Carlson, City of Estevan April Sandhoff, Amateur Radio Marvin Paulson, SaskTel Kelly Hudym, SaskTel Colin Kaip, Southeast Regional Airport Richard Reetz, Salvation Army Ronza Reynard, Salvation Army Heather and Wilf Harbin, Canadian Red Cross Melanie Horton and Estevan Comprehensive School Bright Wright