2013 Conference Info. 2013 Conference Information Program Overview

Program Overview

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Stories about the impact of large earthquakes and tsunamis have been passed on by generations of indigenous people living in the “ring of fire” countries. Robert Dennis Sr. will tell the story of a tsunami that occurred in the villages of his people hundreds of years ago and how the details, handed down through the oral tradition of the native people, have helped to develop robust response and emergency planning in the community today.

 

A2 - Junior Ballroom C

Joint Task Force Pacific: Preparedness and Response

Lieutenant-Colonel Pat Quealey

J3 Land, Plans and Operations
Joint Task Force Pacific
Victoria, British Columbia

Joint Task Force Pacific (JTFP) is the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) organization responsible for all military operations in British Columbia. Commander JTFP is also the Search and Rescue Region Commander for BC and the Yukon. This session will provide unique insight into JTFP preparedness and response activities, as well as mechanisms for supporting civilian authorities. JTFP's effective partnering and coordination with other organizations are key to its concept of operations; and this aspect will be highlighted during the presentation. Practical examples will include recent updates to contingency plans including catastrophic seismic event preparedness, and major air disaster search and rescue immediate response plans.

 

A3 - Port McNeill Room

Cumulative Effects of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

William Dick, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Medical Director,
Lower Mainland Emergency and Health Services Commission
Vancouver, British Columbia

 
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe condition that may develop after an emergency responder is exposed to one or more traumatic events such as experiencing or witnessing a stressor event involving death, serious injury or such threat to the self or others.  The diagnosis is being made more commonly amongst individuals involved in these types of events and is a very topical issue of interest amongst police, fire, prehospital medical and military personnel. 

 
In this overview of PTSD we will learn about and discuss: 

• The causes, risk factors and triggers of PTSD
• The predispositions for developing PTSD
• The symptoms and manifestations of PTSD in those individuals experiencing PTSD
• How to identify co-workers experiencing PTSD
• Ways to prevent PTSD
• Treatment and support options for those experiencing PTSD both medically and in the work place.

 
The session will be interactive and discussion will be welcome.

 

A4 - Junior Ballroom AB

Homeless not Hopeless – A Coordinated ESS Response

Charmaigne Pflugrath Emergency Program Coordinator City of Burnaby, British Columbia

Allison Sanderson, Emergency Support Services Director City of Burnaby, British Columbia

 On February 17^th, 2013 a three alarm fire destroyed a 35 suite building in Burnaby leaving over 100 residents and their pets homeless.  The City of Burnaby’s Emergency Support Services team took immediate action, established Recovery center using a coordinated and integrated agency.   This engaging presentation will share our stories of an urban ESS response, dynamic agency coordination, successful resident recovery and some lessons learned.   

 

A5 - Junior Ballroom D

Business Continuity: ISO 22301 or CSA Z1600

Lisa Benini, MBCP, CRM

President,
Benini Consulting
Victoria, British Columbia

 
Business Continuity practitioners are well served by keeping abreast of any changes to the predominant standards for the profession. Delegates will benefit from this facilitated overview of what has changed and how it affects their planning.

 
The session will cover the values and constraints when applying these standards to your Business Continuity Management (BCM) program as well as what are the common components in all of them. It will also discuss the benefits of using these standards to benchmark your business continuity program as well as leverage with senior management.

 
From this session you will learn what is the best choice to assist your organization in establishing a BCM program. Better yet,… exploring ways to continue promoting the need to keep your BCM program alive and well, while maintaining compliance.

 

 1200 - 1330  Grand Ballroom A&B     

 
Lunch

 

 1330 - 1430  SESSIONS B   

B1 - Junior Ballroom D

Hurricane Sandy - Evacuation & Stand-Alone Emergency Department Operations, Bellevue Hospital NY

Dr. Christopher Mcstay,

Chief of Service, Bellevue Hospital Emergency Department and Associate Professor,
Department of Emergency Medicine,
New York University Langone Medical Center, New York,

 
Hurricane Sandy devastated the infrastructure of 3 hospitals in Manhattan.  Bellevue, Manhattan’s largest public hospital, was forced to evacuate several days after the storm and reopened 100 days later.  Dr. Chris Mcstay will discuss how the hospital prepared in the days leading up to the storm and the devastating impact of Sandy on hospital infrastructure and ability to provide patient care.  The evacuation and recovery operations will be discussed as well as the operation of a Freestanding Emergency Department onsite until the hospital reopened.

B2 - Junior Ballroom C

Community Preparedness through Partnerships

Mark Eckley, Assistant Chief Strathcona County Emergency Management Agency Sherwood Park, Alberta

Dawn Hemming, Assistant Chief Strathcona County Emergency Services Sherwood Park, Alberta

Karen Tomnuk Communications & Marketing Specialist Strathcona County Emergency Services Sherwood Park, Alberta

Strathcona County has a high risk profile relative to other Canadian communities with a similar population; 75 per cent of Western Canada’s refining occurs within its borders. Strathcona County also has a comprehensive pipeline, rail and roadway infrastructure. Significant volumes of hazardous materials are transported daily on these networks to support local industry. As well, the community has experienced increasingly intense wild land urban interface fires.

In response to this community risk profile, Strathcona County has partnered with local industry, associations and the provincial government to help ensure residents know what to do in the event of a disaster. A study on the costs and benefits of implementing a siren early-warning system in the community has been commissioned, and a robust community awareness campaign has been launched. The campaign continues to grow as new initiatives are incorporated into the plan.

During the breakout session, the following materials will be shared or discussed:

• Overview of Strathcona County’s Emergency Management Survey and actions being pursued as a result.
• Movie theatre ads (2), promoting shelter in place and evacuation.
• Ad campaign in local newspaper and on Facebook, promoting ways in which people will be notified in a disaster.
• Highlights from the annual Get Prepared, Strathcona! event targeted for residents.
• Key partnerships with industry and government, promoting effective communication tools (Northeast Region Community Awareness Emergency Response and the UPDATEline, Alberta Emergency Management Agency and the Alberta Emergency Alert system, etc.)

 
Participants in this session will hopefully walk away with new ideas on how to effectively communicate their emergency preparedness messages in their respective communities.

 

B3 - Junior Ballroom AB

Operation Unity 2012 - Full Scale Disaster Exercise

Jason Brolund,

Deputy Fire Chief, Regional Emergency Program Coordinator
City of Kelowna
British Columbia

 

Operation Unity 2012 was a major full scale disaster exercise that took place in the Central Okanagan Region of British Columbia.  This was an opportunity created to put into practice and test the effectiveness of the overall community response plan in the event of a major aircraft accident at Kelowna International Airport (YLW).

 
The exercise had 306 participants from 41 federal, provincial, regional and local agencies and tested all aspects of the airport and regional emergency plan from the initial response, to transporting passengers to the hospital, to evaluating the communications and interaction between agencies.

 
The exercise was a success, but only because things failed. This presentation will outline the 18 months of planning, training and preparation that went into the event as well as lessons learned through the after action process.

 

B4 - Port Alberni Room

A Resilient ESS Work Force - What Does "Ready" mean?

Nela Graham,

Industrial Hygienist/ Emergency Social Services Director 
Safety, Security & Emergency Management Division
Metro Vancouver, Burnaby, British Columbia

 
Emergency Social Services (ESS) is the heart of any emergency response and teams are often primarily made up of dedicated volunteers.  Planning and training for these individuals focuses heavily on the areas of documentation and assisting evacuees and is often limited in prevention of exposures to health and safety hazards that could be present during a response.

 
The concepts of Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Exposure Control in the context of physical, chemical, and biological hazards are familiar in any workplace and analogous to an All-Hazards approach in emergency management, but not often employed in preparing for the safety of ESS workers.

 
Workers with a strong understanding of the hazards they may face and how to implement controls will be better prepared, protected and ready to adapt.   These concepts are also easily transferred to any business continuity model since a resilient workforce is the key to effective emergency response.

 
This session will focus on how to employ tools and strategies in the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of health hazards, and will provide the framework for participants to develop elements of safety programs including procedures, training and risk communication for ESS workers.

 

B5 - Port McNeill Room

Supply Chain Management

James Laitinen
Director of Marketing
Vancouver Chapter of APICS
The Association for Operations Management

 
Managing your supply chain is a part of any successful business operation.  Most focus is on managing costs by reducing inventory, but what happens when your primary supplier dries up?  Delegates will receive insight into how business continuity plans should deal with interruptions as well as inventories.

 

 1430 - 1500  Grand Ballroom C&D Foyer  

Networking & Refreshment Break

 1500 - 1630  Grand Ballroom A&B  

Plenary 2

Firsthand Lessons from the Joplin Tornado

Vicky Mieseler, MS

Vice President Clinical Services
Ozark Center
Joplin, Missouri

 
On May 22, 2011 the town of Joplin, Missouri was struck by the fourth deadliest tornado in US history.  The most important part of the disaster story began at 6:05 p.m., when from beneath the impossible amount of rubble, chunks of plaster, boards, and shingles, a shifting began and people, battered and bruised, rose up out of shattered homes and businesses to face the devastation that would, for a time, dampen their spirits. This story is the mental health response to Joplin, provided by the local community mental health center – Ozark Center – that was also battered and bruised.

 
Vicky Mieseler, VP of Clinical Services was responsible to develop and implement the mental health disaster response for the citizens of Joplin following the May tornado.  She will share how Ozark Center helped meet the community’s mental health needs, how technology was instrumental in the response, and the lessons learned by all.  Vicky will discuss how to set up command centers and communicate with staff when most normal modes of communication are gone. You will learn the importance of debriefing and providing education/support for first responders, rescue/recovery workers, businesses, schools and the community when all your homes and businesses are gone. Understand the benefits of focusing on “opportunities” from the start that will help you rebuild infrastructure and hope in the community.

 
Objectives include:

• How they met the community’s mental health needs

• How they provided services to disaster responders

• How technology was instrumental in the mental health response

• Lessons learned

 

WEDNESDAY, 27^th NOVEMBER 2013

 

 0745 - 0830  Grand Ballroom C&D Foyer

Continental Breakfast

 0830 - 1000  Grand Ballroom A&B

Plenary 3

The Evolution of Social Media during Disasters – from the Joplin Tornado to Hurricane Sandy and Beyond

Suzanne Bernier, CEM, CBCP, MBCI

Principal,
SB Crisis Consulting
Toronto, Ontario

 
The presentation will focus on the evolution of social media use during disasters, focusing on two specific social media success stories - the 2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

The first case study will examine the effective use of Facebook immediately following the Joplin tornado, with the creation of the Joplin Tornado Info (JTI) Facebook page. Having visited Joplin following the tornado and met with the creators of JTI, the presenter will share their insights and lessons learned on social media use during disasters.

 
The second case study will examine the use of social media before, during and after Hurricane Sandy, which is being heralded as a true social media success story. Throughout the storm, NYC.gov, Facebook, Flikr, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and YouTube informed people in near real-time. The presenter will review in detail how social media was used effectively during the preparedness, response and recovery phases of Hurricane Sandy.

 

 1000 - 1030  Grand Ballroom C&D Foyer

Networking & Refreshment Break 

 1030 - 1200  SESSIONS C  

C1 - Port McNeill Room

Fire and Evacuation at Children’s Hospital, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Susan Fogg, RN, MN
Program Director, Child Health, WRHA
Director of Patient Services, Children's Hospital, Health Sciences Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba

 
On March 5/6, 2013 just before midnight a fire was deliberately set in the construction site adjacent to Children’s Hospital.  Dense black smoke was drawn into the in-patient tower through the ventilation system, flames were visible outside and patient rooms quickly became heated from the fire.  Staff had minutes to prepare 121 patients for evacuation as the hospital went from normal operations to complete evacuation mode within 15 minutes (four different emergency codes called).

 
Susan Fogg, Director of Patient Services will walk us through the timeline and emergency response to this life-threatening event.  She will discuss how Hospital Incident Command was initiated and helped to manage patients, families and staff for the next 12 hours until the hospital could be reoccupied.  Susan will also discuss their psycho-social support initiatives for impacted staff / families, and lessons learned which may be very helpful to anyone working in healthcare.

 

C2 - Junior Ballroom D

EOC Success in 90 Minutes

Lynn Orstad,

President
The British Columbia Association of Emergency Managers (BCAEM)
Chilliwack, British Columbia

 

Why is 90 Minute Learning needed now?

• Organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to release people for training – and yet personal development is essential to maintain performance and attract and retain quality emergency preparedness / response staff and volunteers.
• Traditional training decays rapidly. Research has shown that up to 80% of learning can be lost very quickly if not reinforced and applied immediately.
• “Conventional Training” costs too much.The direct costs of conventional training programs are further inflated by staff expenses (mileage, hotel, meals, etc.) and lost time from work.

 
This session will be of benefit for Local Government Emergency Program Coordinators & Managers in medium, smaller cities and remote rural communities, who are responsible for training their staff and volunteers in EOC functions.  Participants will receive materials that they will be able to immediately use and modify to meet the needs of their communities. 

 

C3 - Port Alberni Room

Two approaches to Urban Search and Rescue - Victoria & Vancouver

Jowett Wong, USAR Task Force Leader, City of Victoria, British Columbia

Jim Young, Assistant Chief Emergency Planning, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services City of Vancouver, British Columbia

In 2010, the City of Victoria established the first all volunteer urban search and rescue team only in BC and possibly within Canada. Comprised overwhelmingly of non-first responders, the team represents a diverse cross section of the community that it serves.  The development of USAR Victoria will be covered along with its strengths and challenges, its unique team composition and how other municipalities can learn from and adapt to provide a USAR capability to its citizens and the benefits of a local response.

 
The City of Vancouver has been involved in the establishment of the first Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) Team to support a more resilient emergency preparedness capability in the region and in addition as part of a national initiative to develop a HUSAR capability for Canada.  The composition and capability of the team (Canada Task Force 1) will be covered along with an update on the recent deployments to Johnsons Landing Landslide (2012) and Calgary Flood (2013)

 

C4 - Junior Ballroom C

Integrated Disaster Council of British Columbia

Kelli Kryzanowski, Manager, Integrated Planning Emergency Management BC, Victoria British Columbia

Lise Anne Pierce, Provincial Manager Disaster Management, Canadian Red Cross, Victoria, British Columbia

 

The purpose of the Integrated Disaster Council of BC (IDCBC) is to provide a forum for a collaborative approach to enhance community disaster resiliency based on a four pillar approach to emergency management within BC.  IDCBC coordinates the efforts of the many government and non-government agencies engaged in disaster human consequence management to support local authority and First Nations’ emergency management activities.

 
Ms Kryzanowski, EMBC, Standing Co-chair and Ms Pierce, Canadian  Red Cross, Co-Chair of the IDCBC Steering Committee will lead a discussion on the roles and responsibilities of the Council and recent activations along with input from other members of the committee members;  such as Ministry of Social Development, Salvation Army, BC Housing, St. John Ambulance, Mennonite Disaster Services, Disaster Psycho-Social program.

 

C5 - Junior Ballroom AB

Resilient Organisations

A Facilitated Panel Discussion

Moderator

Edward Matley
Director, Advisory Services
KPMG
Vancouver British Columbia

Panellists

Jeff Hortobagy Planning Manager TELUS Communications Burnaby, British Columbia

Connie Hart, MBCI, CBRITP Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Manager Central 1 Credit Union Vancouver British Columbia

Milen Kutev Senior Project Manager British Columbia Automobile Association BCAA Vancouver British Columbia

 We can all learn something from those that are facing, or have faced, the same challenges that we have in front of us. The objective of this session is to hear from members of the business continuity teams of some of BC’s leading organizations about the success that they’ve had from their programs (including awards!) and how they achieved that, as well as how they’re tackling current issues.

 
Each panelist will give a brief overview of their program and there will then be a facilitated discussion around current topics of interest in business continuity. The panel will also answer questions from the floor any challenges that delegates are currently facing.

 

1200 - 1330  Grand Ballroom A&B     

Lunch

 

1300 –  Award Presentations

 

 1330 - 1430  SESSIONS D  

D1 - Port McNeill Room

Public Health Issues / Threats

Dr. Bonnie Henry

Director, Public Health Emergency Services
BC Centre for Disease Control
Vancouver, British Columbia

 
There are multitude of health concerns in the news such as MERS-CoV, H7N9, and Superbugs (drug-resistant pathogens).   A local expert will provide updates and overviews of current and widely publicized concerns and threats.  Dr Bonnie Henry is the Medical Director, Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Services and Public Health Emergency Management with the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

 

D2 - Port Alberni Room

Social Vulnerability of Aboriginal Women: The Situation in Vancouver¹s Downtown Eastside

Emily Kydd

Graduate
Masters of Arts Disaster Management
Royal Roads University
Victoria, British Columbia

 
Again this year the conference is pleased to invite a graduate of the Royal Roads University, Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management to present findings from their Major Research Project. The following is the synopsis of Emily Kydd’s research.

 
Social vulnerability is a major factor when considering community risk to disasters, especially when a community is home to residents who have greater and more specialized needs than typical.  The Downtown Eastside of Vancouver is a stigmatized inner city neighbourhood and is home to many sub-populations of marginalized people. This research project focused on Aboriginal women in this neighbourhood, and through a generic qualitative approach determined and analyzed their specific social vulnerabilities and capacities in regards to disaster.  Socio-economic disparities, lack of educational and professional opportunities, health issues and disabilities, and unsafe living conditions all play roles in the daily lives of these women, and would inevitably effect how they would experience a disaster.   Positive characteristics present in the neighbourhood such as strong social capital, communal and personal resilience, and accepting and supportive social structures serve to mitigate some of these vulnerabilities and give hope for positive resilience building and cooperative disaster planning.

 

D3  - Junior Ballroom C

International Public Safety Events – 2010 Vancouver Olympics and beyond

Staff Sergeant Lee Patterson Public Safety Unit Tactical Advisor Vancouver Police Department

Constable John Braithwaite Public Safety Unit Tactical Advisor Vancouver Police Department

 
Much detailed planning must go into coordinating security and public safety during international events. During 2010, Canada was host to two of the largest international events: 2010 Vancouver Olympics and Toronto G20 Summit.

Staff Sergeant Lee Patterson and Constable John Braithwaite will discuss the pre planning and training implications leading up to major events and the complexities of ensuring integration and inclusion of outside agencies to the Public Safety Unit during these high-profile events.

D4 - Junior Ballroom AB

Next Steps - ESS Training Blueprint”

Jeff Cornell Program Manager Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) New Westminster, British Columbia

Bob Kennedy ESS Training Specialist Emergency Management BC (EMBC) Victoria, British Columbia

 
Learn about the results of the EMBC/JIBC Program DACUM (Develop A Curriculum) held in April 2013 and the next steps in the new ESS Training Blueprint. As part of this initiative to enhance ESS training and make it more accessible, there will be an interactive demonstration of the two new e-learning offerings delivered by the JIBC and sponsored by EMBC. Participants will have the opportunity to explore these two online courses using a laptop or/tablet. The new ESS Quick Reference Guide and the new ESS App will also be showcased.

 

D5 - Junior Ballroom D

The evolution of Emergency Management driven by Big-data and analytics

Rudi Loepp

IBM

 
What if you could harness and interconnect data so every responder has near real-time access? And what if you could share data across organizational boundaries to multiply its value?

 
Join us to understand disaster and emergency management trends and how organizations are leveraging Big-data to support their changing needs. Gain the insight needed to understand the “ground truth” of a situation. Access the tools you need to make decisions, monitor the operational and manage key resources. Learn how to run what-if scenarios to analyze options and fuse data and analytics from the private and public sectors--integrate live feeds from the field and interface with responders in action. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how to turn data into the insights you need.

 

1430 - 1500  Grand Ballroom C&D Foyer

Networking & Refreshment Break

 

 1500 - 1630  Grand Ballroom A&B   

Plenary 4 

IT Risk Management: The evolution of business continuity, disaster recovery, high availability & security into a singular strategy

Rodney Yip

Product and Portfolio Manager
IBM Canada

 
With today’s ever increasing threats to a company's IT coming not from one singular focus area but a combination of several, the need for an integrated IT risk strategy is becoming a critical requirement rather than a luxury.

 
Threats no longer appear as simply security incidents but very often occur as individuals or groups attempt to take advantage of the chaos caused during a natural disaster or system outage. Companies who lack a coordinated sense and response strategy may find themselves having to apologize to customers for both IT being unavailable during the event and the loss of confidential client data. During this session, the attendee will learn about unique approaches to IT Risk Management and how organizations can begin to protect themselves against threats to their IT.

Protect, prevent and manage IT risk before it’s too late.

 

 1700 - 1900  Pavilion Ballroom  

Social Night

Come to our social night event to relax and unwind and catch up with your colleagues in the emergency management and business continuity fields. Appetizers, Refreshments & Prizes.

THURSDAY, 28^th NOVEMBER 2013

 

0745 - 0830  Grand Ballroom Foyer

Continental Breakfast

 

 0830 - 0930  Grand Ballroom A&B

Plenary 5

Earthquake in Canada: The Risk Realities

Don Forgeron,

President and CEO
Insurance Bureau of Canada

 
As part of its strategic priority to prepare Canada for an earthquake, Insurance Bureau of Canada commissioned the first major study of the impact of a major earthquake in British Columbia and Ontario/Quebec. IBC will present the results of this report and of the other work it has undertaken including public opinion research. As a leader on this issue, IBC will discuss proposed solutions based on its comprehensive research.

 

0930 - 1030  Grand Ballroom A&B

Plenary 6

Emergency Response Units

Kelli Kryzanowski, Manager, Integrated Planning Emergency Management BC, Victoria British Columbia

Phyllis Argue Manager, Government & Grants Sector, BC & Yukon Canadian Red Cross, Victoria, British Columbia

Kirsten Brown, Director, Planning & Programs Emergency Management Unit Ministry of Health

 
An ERU is a standardised modular package of trained personnel and modules of equipment, ready to be deployed to international emergencies at short notice.  ERUs are designed to provide an essential, basic and standardised service platform for use in any part of the world.  The units are fully self-sufficient for one month and can be deployed for up to four months.

 
Types of ERUs include:

• -Logistics ERU
• -Relief ERU
• -IT & Telecommunications ERU
• -Water and Sanitation ERU
• -Health ERU (Canadian Red Cross owns two types of these)

 

The plenary will cover: 

• purpose of the Agreement (including description and examples of ERU functionality)
• the work being developed for a clear implementation strategy for the deployment of these National/International resources
• the link to overall catastrophic planning for BC

 

 1030 - 1100  Grand Ballroom A&B

Networking & Refreshment Break

 

 1100 - 1200  Grand Ballroom A&B

Plenary 7

Flooding in Calgary

W. Bruce Burrell
Fire Chief
Director, Calgary Emergency Management Agency
City of Calgary, Alberta

 
During this plenary session, Chief Burrell will cover the response by the City of Calgary to the flooding that occurred in June 2013. He will also be covering challenges and efforts being made to recovery from the adverse impacts of the flood.

 

1200 - 1230  Grand Ballroom A&B

Lunch

 

 1230 - 1330  Grand Ballroom A&B

Plenary 8

 
This plenary is being kept open for the latest information from any emergency event that may occur prior to the conference. 

1330 - 1400  Grand Ballroom A&B

Conference Wrap-up & Draw for Exhibitor Prizes