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Emergency Planning Committee and Emergency By-law
for the City of Toronto
The Emergency and Protective Services Committee recommends the adoption of the following report (February 5, 1998) from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services; and that the necessary Bill be introduced in Council to give effect thereto:
Purpose:
This report proposes to replace the existing emergency by-laws of the seven former municipalities with one that is based on the former Metro by-law. A revised emergency plan will be prepared over the next few weeks by the Emergency Planning Committee and may result in revisions of the new By-law.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) authority be granted to introduce a bill before Council to enact an emergency by-law substantially in the form of By-law No. 31-96 of the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto and reflecting structural and organizational changes resulting from the establishment of the City of Toronto; and
(2) the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services and the Chief of Police review the existing municipal emergency plans and report back on a new Emergency Plan for Toronto.
Background:
Municipal emergency planning for Toronto is the responsibility of City Council.
By-law No. 31-96 of the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto provides for the creation and, during emergencies affecting Toronto, implementation of plans that would ensure the provision of necessary services during an emergency. The Police have assumed principal responsibility for coordination of matters under this By-law and would take the lead role in managing an emergency, both at the site and in the Emergency Operations Centre. The By-law also provides for an Emergency Planning Committee that oversees work on an Emergency Plan and provides guidance during an actual emergency.
The Metropolitan Toronto Emergency Plan, created under By-law No. 31-96, provides the framework within which extraordinary measures can be taken to protect the health, safety and welfare of members of the Toronto community in the event of an emergency. The Emergency Planning Committee has also endorsed a five-step approach to emergencies which includes planning, preparedness, response, recovery and review.
The former local municipalities each had emergency by-laws and plans which nested within the framework of the Metro one and set out how each municipality would deal with a more localized emergency.
Comments:
Toronto faces a variety of risks, ranging from natural emergencies such as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and ice storms to emergencies resulting from human activities. There are risks associated with the City=s airports, rail lines, highways, industries, harbour, subway system, pipelines and major tower buildings. Parts of Scarborough lie within the 10 km planning zone for Pickering under the Province=s Nuclear Emergency Plan, which requires Toronto to carry out detailed planning for this zone and to undertake specific preparedness activities.
Emergency preparedness requires that the City be ready at any time to respond to an emergency, and the present by-laws and plans provide for such response. However, municipal amalgamation and restructuring have made some parts of the by-laws and plans ambiguous - for example, they refer to offices and positions which no longer exist. To minimize any potential problems, this situation should be addressed quickly.
The first step is to repeal the existing emergency by-laws and replace them with a new one modelled on the Metro by-law.
The second and equally critical step is to create a new Emergency Plan. This would be basically a revision of the existing Metro Emergency Plan, but should include a review of the existing local municipal emergency plans and incorporation of any elements which remain relevant under the new structure. In emergency response, as in other aspects of municipal life, we can learn from the experiences of other large cities, such as Montreal with its recent ice storm. I understand the Police Chief has some thoughts about a multi-agency approach that might function more effectively than the approach used in the existing plans, and there are undoubtedly other opportunities for revisions presented by the new City structure. These should be explored over the next few weeks, and the resulting new Emergency Plan for Toronto reported to the Emergency and Protective Services Committee. In the interim, the Emergency Plan established under By-law No. 31-96 would continue to serve as the Emergency Plan under the new City by-law, with all modifications required to reflect the City by-law.
Conclusion:
By passing a by-law at its next meeting, City Council will eliminate potential ambiguities in the existing emergency by-laws and help to ensure a smooth and effective response to any emergency. A new Emergency Plan should also be prepared shortly.
Contact Names and Phone Numbers:
Simon B. Chamberlain (392-7404); Karl Druckman (392-4520)
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