Duane Hicks
The local Community Control Group (CCG) sprang into action this morning as part of Emergency Management Ontario’s “Trillium Response 2008” after a simulated “ice storm” declared by Environment Canada earlier this week escalated into a critical situation.
The CCG, including members of police, fire, and ambulance services, town administration, Public Works, Fort Frances Power Corp., the Canadian Red Cross, Rainy River District Victim Services, Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board, and other agencies, convened at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) set up at the Civic Centre to deal with the toll ice and snow had taken on the Town of Fort Frances.
According to the scenario, which warranted the declaration of a state of emergency, power in the community was knocked out early this morning as hydro lines and trees in the Fort Frances area and elsewhere collapsed under the weight of the ice and snow.
The Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service was called to Elizabeth Manor to a report of a hydro pole on fire. When they arrived, they found there was no fire, but three hydro poles were down.
Several evacuees were transported from the manor to the evacuation centre set up in the Memorial Sports Centre auditorium.
Meanwhile, the Fort Frances Power Corp. also was flooded with calls regarding the lack of power, as well as complaints about the lack of heat for some residents.
Road travel was hazardous and impossible in some locations due to the ice and strong winds. But while emergency response was slowed by the weather conditions, service still was being provided within town limits.
The OPP responded to numerous motor vehicle collisions, and closed area highways due to the high risk of travel.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) also responded to an unusual number of calls, particularly because of falls and people experiencing shortness of breath. One such call was made from Elizabeth Manor, where a elderly female fell while trying to get out of the building and needed medical assistance.
Public Works was put to work to try and remove ice from streets or lay down materials to give vehicles some traction. They remained in high demand throughout the day.
The situation then worsened for the CCG when, after several hours of service, the generator at the EOC began to act up and quit three times in a 35-minute period at one point in the day.
The CCG had to weigh the option of moving to an alternate location rather that put up with the interruptions, but opted to stay put. Eventually, the Civic Centre generator was found to have dirty fuel problems and it was solved.
Telecommunications also were sporadic earlier in the day, with traditional landlines being more reliable than cellphones. The towers for the latter were affected by the ice.
Non-essential municipal staff were sent home for their own safety and to look after their families, and town administrative offices were closed.
As the day wore on and the town still had no electricity, some local residents turned to other sources of heat and light, and, in fact, the fire department had to respond to several unattended candles causing fires.
Fortunately, all were caught before causing serious damage.
EMS was called into action later on, too. An elderly couple needed medical attention after they tried to use a barbecue to warm a portion of their small home. Another family was made nauseous by exhaust fumes from a portable generator placed too close to a vent in their home.
The town’s Operations and Facilities division also got some bad news at one point in the day when the water purification system at the water treatment plant was compromised and a boil water advisory was issued. But due to the lack of power, most people were unable to follow the advisory and requested potable water.
While untreated water continued to be provided, and fire protection was not compromised, there was a concern about the condition of the plant generator and the ability to continue to provide water if power is not restored soon.
The Fort Frances Community Clinic also reported some pharmaceuticals were in short supply, and staff asked for the CCG’s assistance in arranging for the transport of critical items.
By the late afternoon, power was restored to most businesses and residences in Fort Frances, with the only remaining area being around Elizabeth Street East, where the FFPC continued to work to restore power.
Around the same time, it was determined the water treatment plant was back online and operating as normal.
Just as weather conditions started to calm down and warm up, a call came in that ice falling from a building ruptured an exposed natural gas line in the centre of town. Fire, police, and EMS responded and determined the gas line to a portable barbecue had been separated—and that the gas line only needed to be turned off.
As temperatures continued to rise with the arrival of a warm front, the OPP re-opened most roadways but continued to advise drivers to stay off area highways if possible.
Full telecommunications were restored by the day’s end, and most businesses either have re-opened or will re-open in the morning, though some on a limited basis.
Public Works was, and continued to be, flooded with calls for assistance in cleaning up their properties as downed and damaged trees on private and public property continue to pose safety hazards to the public.
Once it was established that evacuees’ home again were habitable, the CCG asked them to return to them unless special circumstances prevent this from happening. They also closed the evacuation centre.
After a damage assessment, it was determined municipal infrastructure sustained relatively little damage from the ice and snow. But given the number of reports of trees and poles toppled onto homes and businesses, the CCG now will prepare information on the approach the community will take in assisting residents with the repair of their properties.
The CCG remained at the EOC for the rest of the day and decided to meet again tomorrow morning. They also decided they will meet Monday, Dec. 1 at 10 a.m. for a debriefing.
As previously reported, today’s undertaking was part of Emergency Management Ontario’s “Trillium Response 2008”—an exercise based on each municipality’s annual requirement to conduct an emergency exercise for testing components of their respective emergency plans.
Other communities, such as Thunder Bay, already have been conducting exercises this week.
During the exercise, which was organized by Fire Chief Gerry Armstrong, Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig, and alternate CEMCs Capt. Joe Bobczynski and deputy town clerk Kathy Lawson, the following objectives were set to test the specific components of the local emergency plan:
•activate the community control group call-out system;
•activate and set up the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at the Civic Centre;
•declare a state of emergency;
•test telecommunications and radio communications between the EOC and the incident site;
•activate the evacuation centre at the Memorial Sports Centre; and
•make effective use of the media to provide public information and updates.
The exercise was watched over by evaluators who were chosen to observe and comment on specific components of activities.
Within the fictional parameters of the scenario, the weather started to take a turn for the worse on the weekend when Environment Canada issued a snowfall/winter storm warning for the region. By day’s end Sunday, total snowfall of 25-35 cm, mixed with freezing rain, had fallen across most of the northwest.
On Monday, temperatures plummeted from around zero C to minus-10-15 and strong northwest winds created a wind chill of minus-20-25.
Then yesterday, Environment Canada issued a special weather statement, with temperatures in the minus-20-25 range and a wind chill of minus-35.
