Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPR)

2006 Report of Activities

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Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP)

The primary responsibility of the CEPR's Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) is to support the development of healthrelated emergency response plans for natural and human-caused disasters. The OEP works closely with partners from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, Public Safety Canada, other federal departments, and provinces and territories to identify planning priorities and develop the plans necessary to respond to their respective mandates.

In 2006 the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) gained increased recognition and support for a number of programs aimed at enhancing Canada's all-hazards preparedness and emergency response capacities in the face of public health security threats ranging from pandemic influenza to CBRN incidents. Additional developments included the maturity of the OEP training program and clearer recognition within the Public Health Agency of Canada of the developmental needs of the OEP's planning, exercise, E Team (emergency management software) and Geospatial Information Systems programs.

An all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness

For the Public Health Agency of Canada, the planning and development of uniform and robust emergency response requires careful attention to a complex interplay of domestic and international health factors. This, in turn, necessitates a comprehensive and highly collaborative approach to disaster preparedness, response and mitigation. With these considerations in mind, the CEPR takes a proactive "all hazards" approach to emergency preparedness, working with EPR partners and stakeholders across Canada and internationally to prepare for and respond to all manner of natural and human-caused health emergencies.

National Forum pandemic exercise

The Tabletop Exercise for the 2006 National Forum on Emergency Preparedness and Response (Coherence Trecedim II) was conducted in Vancouver, B.C. in December 2006. The exercise was based on a pandemic influenza scenario, building on outcomes and gaps identified in the 2005 National Forum exercise (Coherence Trecedim I).

Coherence Trecedim II explored federal/provincial/territorial (F/P/T) and non-governmental communications processes and procedures, as well as operational aspects of roles and responsibilities associated with the management of a pandemic influenza. Emphasis was placed on public communications, mitigation of societal disruption and effective coordination among various levels of government and non-governmental organization (NGO) stakeholders. The exercise also provided a forum in which selected F/P/T and NGO decision makers were able to practice their roles and responsibilities and raise awareness of the impact of pandemic influenza in Canada.

Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP)

Planning for Tabletop exercises

The OEP developed and tested a framework for a series of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) tabletop exercises in 2006. The aim of the exercises, to be conducted on a monthly basis, is to more clearly define the processes, roles and responsibilities of each of the EOC functional groups within the health portfolio's Emergency Response Structure. These future tabletop exercises are also aimed at developing and refining specific Standard Operating Procedures for the roles and responsibilities of each of the functional groups, and further refining the EOC draft Concept of Operations.

Training initiatives

In 2006, the OEP training Unit adopted an online training strategy to facilitate effective delivery of training programs to a Canada-wide audience. With this strategy in mind, the training unit was busy throughout the year adapting existing courses and developing new courses for online delivery. The unit's list of online courses includes: a Tier 1 Lab Bioterrorism Recognition Course; a Chemical/Biological/Radio-Nuclear (CBRN) Health Basic Course; an Emergency Social Services Basic Course; an Emergency Health Services Basic Course; and a Surge, Sort, Support: Disaster Behavioural Health for Health Care Professionals course.

E Team project group

2006 saw the addition of the E Team project group to the Office of Emergency Preparedness. This group is responsible for the development of E Team emergency management software, which became operational within the Agency's CEPR-run Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) over the past year. EOC staff are currently enhancing and refining the software's capabilities in the public health emergency response environment. Geospatial Information Systems.

The E Team project group progressed with the integration of Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology into the Emergency Operation Centre in 2006. The integration supported the OEP's participation in an interdepartmental pilot project aimed at employing GIS to facilitate easier, more efficient information sharing among federal/provincial/territorial partners and stakeholders, in both routine and emergency response situations.

DID YOU KNOW?

Once fully implemented, GIS is expected to greatly assist EOC managers and incident commanders in gathering and sharing emergency-related information – internally and across multiple jurisdictions. GIS will also help decision makers identify public health threats, obtain the best data, plan for response and recovery, mitigate adverse conditions, and make the best possible decisions in emergency situations.

Looking ahead

Key 2007 priorities for the Office of Emergency Preparedness include:

• developing a health portfolio Emergency Response Plan;
• establishing and conducting an ongoing exercise program;
• continued development of online training opportunities;
• providing training and exercise components for E Team users; and
• integrating GIS into routine operations.

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