Winnipeg Emergency Services to partake in two-day disaster simulation exercise

Winnipeg Emergency Services will be conducting a two-day training exercise to practice disaster management and responses within the city.

During day one of the training, participants will learn emergency management best practices and leadership from industry experts, according to the City of Winnipeg’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) team.

Day two will see the same participants apply the lessons learned in day one in a full-day tabletop exercise.

“When a disaster strikes, Winnipeggers rely on us to know what to do,” said Jason Shaw, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Deputy Chief of Safety, Emergency Management & Public Information.

“Emergency management is all about teamwork, and it is important that our team practices together with our partners and stakeholders. We need to plan together, have established lines of communication, and be ready to work together at a moment’s notice.”

Members from CN Rail, CPKC Rail, the Province of Manitoba, the Government of Canada, Shared Health, Manitoba Hydro, BellMTS, and the Canadian Red Cross will all be involved.

According to the City, the simulated disaster involves “critical rail infrastructure” and will “test inter-agency coordination.”