Emergency response teams tested at Northgate

Dozens of emergency vehicles and personel crews were called out to Northgate Shopping Centre Sunday evening to respond to an unfolding disaster.

From shotguns to bombs anything was possible, and although the emergency crews didn’t know what they were up against when approaching the situation, they knew that protocol had to be followed.

The situation at the shopping centre turned out to be a mock disaster, set up as a training exercise for all emergency partners in order to be prepared for any type of situation.

North Bay Police Service representative Yvon Montcalm explains that the incident takes place December 23rd, even though it was Sunday March 4, the same weather conditions apply.

“The reason they picked the 23rd of December was because obviously there are more people involved,” he explains.

“There’s more of a crisis situation because of the shear number of people who are shopping before Christmas, that’s why that was brought in to it.”

Montcalm says that the situation had emergency crews up against Bio-hazardous material and homemade bombs, and based on the situation Emergency Operation Control Group is called in.

He explains that the scenario commences and one of the emergency response organisations attends the scene and from there it’s ascertained in fact that it escalates to the point where the emergency management team has to be called in.

“There’s a call out procedure that everyone who is responsible for agencies attends, and from there the ongoing scenario dictates what the emergency management people will be doing.”

“Basically anybody within the city who has authority in someway … if it’s the Police, the Fire, the Ambulance, the Health Unit, The Mayor’s Office or the CEO … anyone that is responsible for a large or important agency within the city is represented in this scenario.”

Montcalm also explained that these training exercises are done on a regular basis and that the agencies are graded on how they perform.

“The scenario is not only judged by provincial standards, it is supervised by provincial representation. It’s almost like going through an exam or a test and it is an official one.”