A new Emergency Planning Bylaw is in the works for North Battleford.
A draft of the proposed new bylaw was presented at Monday's municipal services committee meeting of city council for review, comments and discussion. The plan is to eventually bring the finished bylaw to council for passage.
According to an April 13 city memo from city clerk Debbie Wohlberg, the bylaw is being prepared in light of the need for more extensive planning and preparation in the event of an emergency. According to Wohlberg, the new bylaw draft outlines in more detail the requirements of the Emergency Measures Organization and the makeup of its planning committee with the appointment of an Emergency Planning Coordinator.
The Emergency Measures Organization's planning committee would be responsible for developing and executing the emergency plan, among other things. The new bylaw sets out in greater detail who is on the planning committee and the job description of the coordinator, along with the role of council.
The city already has an emergency plan in place, however the bylaw "formalizes that process," said fire chief Pat MacIsaac at the meeting.
The new bylaw would replace the existing bylaw that established the EMO, passed in 1991. According to the city clerk's memo the intent is to amend the draft copy if necessary and introduce it to council in the next month.
The focus on emergency measures comes in the wake of last year's Summer of Storms, with North Battleford hit by extensive flooding following a vicious July 22 hailstorm. North Battleford's emergency plan went into action during that event, as a state of emergency was declared in the city.
At Monday's committee meeting, councillors praised city officials and emergency personnel for their leadership during that crisis. Coun. Trent Houk relayed praise from the office of the fire commissioner and provincial officials for the well-run emergency response to the flooding last year, saying the province had given the city "very high grades".
Houk and iother councillors were particularly pleased that North Battleford Fire and Emergency Services were called to Swift Current to assist that city as they deal with rising flood waters this year. Both fire chief MacIsaac and deputy chief Robin Tomaz were there in observation roles last week.
Houk said he was "extremely proud that we would be called as the experts to help," praising the fire department for their efforts in Swift Current.
