Public Health Agency of Canada
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Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response
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Two scenarios offer examples of how the Centre delivers results for Canadians.
Natural Disasters
The Scenario
Flooding along a major river in Western Canada reaches three larger towns, a First Nations community on a reserve and surrounding rural areas in two provinces. The flood destroys 50 homes and 10 businesses. Emergency officers, health services, police officials and front-line leaders in both provinces respond but as the flood grows, they call for more assistance.
The CEPR Contribution
The CEPR contribution starts well before the call for assistance. Like local and provincial health and emergency officials across Canada, the officials in the flooded area take action based on the same principles and concepts shared from local to national emergency plans. They use training on emergency responses that CEPR designs.
When the call for more direct help comes in, CEPR's Emergency Operations Centre sends two emergency field hospitals, along with extra cots and bedding for emergency shelters within hours. Those supplies come from Canada's National Emergency Stockpile System (NESS). Local public health officials, including the front-line health workers on the reserve, also request specific medical supplies and drugs from NESS to be ready in case of disease outbreaks.
Because of the number of people affected, local medical and health workers need additional assistance to meet the demand for services. So, after consultation, CEPR sends a field medical response team. The mix of people on that team ensures that needed emergency medical services, counselling and mental health services are available.
A Possible Bioterrorism Threat
The Scenario
A package arrives in the mailroom of an office building. The packaging seems suspicious and some powder leaks from it. People are immediately concerned that this might be a bioterrorism case. They call 911.
The CEPR Contribution
The Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response has developed step-by-step guidance and support for these situations that the local emergency and hazardous materials officials put into action. They keep everyone who was exposed to the package together for possible treatment and inform local health authorities.
A first step is to check if explosives, chemicals or radioactive substances might be in the package. If not, emergency workers may want to test the package for micro-organisms that could cause disease or death. To do that, they send it to a CEPR-authorized laboratory with the right testing and safety capacities. These labs can run tests that normally help to identify the substance within 24 hours.
Sometimes, the package or a sample from the package may go to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. That laboratory operates with the highest level of security and has the most specialized facilities for this kind of testing in Canada. In almost every case, laboratory tests prove there is no threat. If a threat exists, health and emergency officials have the information and advice they need to act.
CEPR manages the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN). Health Canada developed this unique "early warning" system in partnership with the World Health Organization. It uses the Web to provide preliminary intelligence on global public health issues.
GPHIN gathers reports on significant events involving public health from global electronic media sources. It provides the information on a "real time" basis, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
GPHIN has a wide scope. It tracks events such as disease outbreaks, infectious diseases, contaminated food and water, bioterrorism, natural disasters, and issues related to the safety of products, drugs and medical devices.
Conclusion
Health Canada's Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response operates in an extremely dynamic environment. New threats emerge or gain prominence. Lessons are learned from Canadian and international experience. The Centre applies all this knowledge to update its plans and operations and to improve its work with its many partners. The result is a continuous effort to assess and be ready to act on threats to the health and safety of Canadians.
Health Canada has the lead role in administering the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan. This Plan establishes the framework that coordinates the federal response to a nuclear emergency. The administration, maintenance, and implementation of this Plan are not CEPR's responsibility.
The Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan addresses:
- serious accidents at nuclear facilities in Canada, along the Canada/United States border or abroad;
- accidents involving nuclear powered vessels visiting Canada or in transit through Canadian waters; and
- other serious events involving the uncontrolled release of radioactivity.
For more information about FNEP please visit: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/epr/fed_nuc.html
More information on the Public Health Agency's work in the area of
emergency preparedness is available at:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/epr/index.html
The CEPR web site may be accessed at:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/epr/centre.html
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