July 20, 1998

   To:Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee

 From:Chief Administrative Officer

 Subject:Funding Request - Conditions on Mount Royal Park, Montreal, Quebec following Ice Storm

 Purpose:

To provide a policy to guide City Council in its response to disaster situations or requests for emergency relief in Canada and/or around the world.

To reconsider the recommendations in Report No. 4 of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee, which was before Council of the City of Toronto at its meeting on April 16, 1998.

 Source of Funds:

 None recommended.

 Recommendations:

In emergency/disaster situations, the City will consider government to government or municipality to municipality requests. Based on the nature of the disaster, the availability of resources, and budgetary considerations, the City will consider the provision of staff and/or equipment for the disaster area.

 The Mayor or designate will provide immediate response to emergency/disaster situations in consultation with the Chief Administrative Officer, the Medical Officer of Health, and the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services. Ratification will follow Council's usual committee process. Once the disaster is over the City will seek reimbursement as appropriate.

 In extreme national or international disaster situations, upon request, Council will consider its ability to help launch public appeals for funding for areas of devastation.

 Granting in response to disaster situations is not recommended and should only be considered against the City's grants policy to ensure accountability.

City Council recognize and commend all staff involved in providing emergency relief service to eastern Ontario during the ice storm in January, 1998, and that no further support or grants be provided in relation to this emergency.

 Council Reference/Background/History

 City Council at its April 16, 1998, meeting, struck out and referred back Clause No. 4 of Report No. 4 from the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee meeting of April 7, 1998, for further consideration:

 "The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee recommended that:

 (1)a grant in the amount of $10,000.00 be provided to the City of Montreal to assist in repairing the damage to Mount Royal Park in Montreal caused by the ice storm;

 (2)the grant be deemed to be in the interests of the Municipality;

 (3)the necessary funds be provided in the 1998 Operating Budget; and

 (4)the Chief Administrative Officer report to the next meeting of the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee on a policy to guide City Council in responding to disaster situations and providing emergency relief to areas in Canada and/or around the world."

 Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

 In January 1998, severe ice storms swept through Eastern Ontario and Southern Quebec, leaving cities, towns, and villages with severe storm damage. With approval of the Mayor in consultation with senior staff, Toronto responded in an exemplary humanitarian fashion.

 During the storm in January municipalities were twinned with each other under the direction of the Provincial Emergency Coordinator. Expert staff and/or equipment were dispatched from the City in response to specific requests from the Provincial Emergency Coordinator. Toronto was requested to use its resources and expertise to work in Kingston and Smith Falls. Montreal and other cities and towns worked with neighbouring communities and received other sources of help.

 Respondents included Parks and Recreation (Forestry), Fire Services, Transportation, Police, Toronto HydroElectric Commission, Social Services, Works, and Toronto Ambulance. Their efforts were coordinated through the Toronto Police, Emergency Management Section of the Public Safety Unit. More than 200 staff were involved in this action and approximately $2 million was expended to assist eastern Ontario. Staff are currently seeking opportunities for reimbursement as appropriate.

 Disaster response is a specialized field of work that needs clear direction, coordination, and a quick appropriate response. All levels of government have tiered response disaster plans that ensure an appropriate assessment of need and coordination of requests for deployment of help. At the international level, this tier response is usually coordinated by the International Red Cross/Crescent or a United Nations Agency.

 This will help to ensure that there is no duplication of effort or unskilled people being placed in dangerous situations. As a city we should consider government to government, and/or municipality to municipality requests, as part of the coordinated disaster response plan.

 Providing grants in disaster situations is not recommended by staff. The City can contribute in many valuable ways, as it did in the ice storm, by providing the expertise and time of our specialty staff teams. Funding requests should be subject to the City's grants criteria. This includes staff assessment and review of the project against other needs, as well as a determination of whether the request falls within the City's mandate. A review of the financial information of the group making the request, in light of the conditions attached to grants funding, should also be undertaken.

 In situations of extreme disaster, it is not unusual for some municipal councils to launch public appeals for funding to help bring to the attention of the public the plight of people in disaster areas.

 Lessons Learned:

 Disaster planning is more than evacuations and emergency services; it also includes plans for preserving our ecosystems, quality of life and maintaining city infrastructure over the long term.

 The storm in January helped the City to identify the need to review all parts of the Toronto Disaster Plan in light of amalgamation, and has highlighted the need to include ecological disaster planning as part of the City's disaster plan. This experience also highlighted the need to pay special attention to the importance of effective and responsive mobile communications in the field. A review process for the Toronto Disaster Plan is well underway and will be submitted to City Council at a later date for approval.

 The coordination of requests for help, necessary approvals, and deployment of resources was done in a timely and effective way in January. The Toronto Disaster response plan is now being reviewed to include a protocol for responses to disasters in other locations. This protocol will also include mechanisms for necessary approvals, communication plans, and staff and equipment dispatch mechanisms.

 Conclusions:

The City should consider government to government, or municipality to municipality requests for disaster assistance.

 The most appropriate response for the Corporation is where appropriate, to contribute in-kind staff and supplies.

 In some extreme circumstances Council may wish to launch public appeals for funds.

 Granting in disaster situations is not recommended.

  Contact Name:

 Fran Perkins 392-1088 and Barry Gutteridge 397-9292

Michael R. Garrett

Chief Administrative Officer