LIKE ALL CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES , THE CITY OF WINNIPEG HAS AN EMERGENCY PLAN.

After all, preparing for and managing the response to an emergency is a key role of municipal government. The plan assigns responsibilities and guides the immediate actions of key officials and civic departments in the critical hours after the onset of an emergency. What you see below are the key players and their assigned responsibilities during Flood '97.

Who were the Emergency Control Committee in 1997?

The Mayor chaired this Committee, which was also comprised of the Deputy Mayor, the Chairperson of the Committee on Works and Operations, the Chairperson of the Committee on Protection, Parks and Culture, and members of the Board of Commissioners. This Committee was responsible for providing overall direction to the entire organization during an emergency.

Who were the Emergency Preparedness and Coordination Committee in 1997?

The Emergency Preparedness and Coordination Committee (EPCC), led by the Commissioner of Protection, Parks and Culture was responsible for coordinating all activities of City departments, outside agencies, the public sector and volunteer groups during an emergency. As you can see from the chart, each coordinator is responsible for specific activities. Depending on the nature of the emergency, there were other players at the table. For instance, the Canadian Armed Forces were part of numerous meetings held by EPCC and actually had staff located in the Emergency Operations Centre.

Where is the Emergency Operations Centre?

The Emergency Operations Centre - the EOC - is located in the basement of the Council Building at City Hall. This is where decisions are made. This is where emergency coordination takes place. At the height of the emergency, the EOC was opened and staffed 24 hours a day. It was one meeting after another. The constant ringing of telephones. Maps, maps and more maps. But the planning and hard work paid off - people will most certainly remember the flood of 1997 and the tremendous effort by the City of Winnipeg to prepare and protect its citizens!

Emergency Operations Centre: Military and City personnel working together.