Emergency Management Ontario staffing
WHEREAS the Amethyst Sector designated by Emergency Management Ontario includes all of Northwestern Ontario, including the Districts of Rainy River, Kenora and Thunder Bay; and,
WHEREAS Community Emergency Management Coordinators (CEMCs) have been advised that EMO Field Officer Dale Smyk retires January 31, 2011, and EMO Corporate is intent on not filling this Field Officer position following Mr. Smyk's retirement; and,
WHEREAS Northwestern Ontario is the largest and most diverse region in Ontario, with a total area of 526,371.87 square kilometers, which includes 34 municipalities and 66 First Nations as well as unincorporated areas; and,
WHEREAS the Amethyst Sector Field Officer provides continuous and ongoing support, resources and assistance to communities to enable them to achieve annual compliance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, which are services essential to municipalities whose human and financial resources are already stretched beyond reasonable limits; and,
WHEREAS the Amethyst Sector Field Officer is and will be integral to the delivery of emergency management training and development to First Nations throughout Northwestern Ontario; and,
WHEREAS EMO Corporate proposal to combine the Amethyst Sector Field Officer position with that of the Albany Sector, which encompasses most of Northeastern Ontario, is completely impractical since the number of communities in the two Sectors, combined with the size of geographical area required to be traveled to service same, is too great for one individual to handle effectively; and,
WHEREAS other potential solutions put forward by EMO to allow the Amethyst Sector Field Officer position to be eliminated (such as flying in a Field Officer from Southern Ontario on an "as needed" basis) are not economical or feasible, and are unacceptable; and,
WHEREAS the elimination of the Amethyst Sector Field Officer position means a service cut to Northwestern Ontario residents; and,
WHEREAS the Province has mandated compliance with the criteria prescribed by the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Actand, therefore, must provide adequate resources to enable communities throughout Northwestern Ontario to achieve compliance;
NOW THEREFORE the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association hereby requests continuation of the Amethyst Sector Field Officer position to serve Northwestern Ontario exclusively, as it currently does, following the retirement of Dale Smyk from the position; and,
FURTHER, THAT this resolution be circulated for support and endorsement to: Premier Dalton McGuinty; Hon. Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Hon. Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry which is responsible for emergency management in unincorporated areas; Hon. Jim Bradley, Minister of Community Safety & Correctional Services; Howard Hampton MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, and Bill Mauro MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan.
Adopted by the NOMA Board of Directors, November 24, 2010
