We are honored to announce the successful completion and passing of the Newell Regional Emergency Management Plan (NREMP)!
Background
In 2020, the Town of Bassano, the Villages of Duchess and Rosemary and the County of Newell each approved an agreement that provided for the establishment of a Regional Emergency Advisory Committee and a Regional Emergency Management Agency. The Town of Bassano then took the lead on a grant application which provided funding for the preparation of a Regional Emergency Management Plan.
A $70,000 grant was awarded under the Alberta Collaboration Program (APC) for the purpose of developing a Regional Emergency Management Plan. Ron Robinson, E.M.E.R.G. Consulting was hired in 2024, working diligently with our team to create a comprehensive and forward-thinking emergency management plan.
Bassano Town Council approved the NREMP at their December 9, 2024 meeting. Member municipalities are working towards the same outcome by December 31, 2024.
The passing of the NREMP is the first phase of many.
Why Does This Matter
The Alberta Emergency Management Act requires municipalities to establish an Emergency Advisory Committee and an Emergency Management Agency. The Act also sets out specific roles and responsibilities for both of those bodies when it comes to ensuring that municipalities are in a strong position to appropriately plan for and be able to manage large scale emergency events.
Instead of each municipality proceeding with their own Advisory Committee and Emergency Management Agency, the decision was made to establish a Regional Partnership and delegate that responsibility to a partnership arrangement which was formally authorized by the approval of Ministerial Order No. A:019/20.
With the establishment of a Regional Emergency Advisory Committee and a Regional Emergency Management Agency, the next step in the process was the preparation of an Emergency Management Plan, which is also a legislated requirement.
Details of the NREMP were presented to the members of the Newell Regional Emergency Advisory Committee on December 3, 2024, after which it was agreed that the Plan would be submitted to each of the Partner Municipal Councils for approval.
The NREMP is a document that will require frequent review and ongoing updates to ensure the contact information for Administrative and Elected Officials and external service providers remains current.
The preparation of additional content, the continued update of this document and frequently scheduled tabletop exercises are additional steps required to ensure that the partner municipalities are prepared to respond to future emergency events. It is anticipated that the preparation of the additional content required, together with training for staff and elected officials and frequent emergency simulations / tabletop exercises will be the focus of Phase II efforts funded by a second Alberta Community Partnership Grant.
To learn more, follow the below links:
Newell Regional Emergency Mangement Plan
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:88e2a421-ab6a-45cc-81f0-4a488beb9566
Regional Emergency Management Plan Bylaw 903-20
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:9e75fc66-a4f5-4ef3-a8c1-dce278e84142
