Over $240,000 in provincial funding is going to five municipalities in Nipissing to strengthen emergency preparedness.
“The Community Emergency Preparedness Grant provides funding for supplies, equipment, and services, supporting our governments effort to protect Ontario by enhancing readiness and response capabilities,” says Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing. “This support will enable local municipalities to better prepare and respond to emergencies, ensuring the safety and security of people in Nipissing.”
The funding includes:
· $50,000 for the Municipality of Powassan to equip the Municipal Office with a transfer switch to enable generator backup, ensuring the building can operate as an emergency evacuation and coordination centre during outages.
· $50,000 for the Municipality of East Ferris to address annual power outages that cause medical emergencies for vulnerable residents during extreme winter weathers with the acquisition and installation of a generator which will be designated in the municipality’s evacuation center.
· $48,511 for the City of North Bay to develop and enhance training curriculum and regiment to their emergency plan by hiring an outside specialist in the Emergency Management field to lead the transformation of the city’s emergency management program.
· $47,890 for the Municipality of Callander to support the purchase of hazmat containment supplies for rapid local response, an enclosed trailer, road closure signs, scene lighting, chainsaws, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and a drone to improve early wildfire assessment, planning, and containment before risks escalate.
· $45,400 for the Municipality of Calvin to enhance emergency response capacity by equipping personnel with emergency road closure trailers, portable radios, tablets, and a radio repeater system ensuring reliable, real time communication during wind related emergencies.
“This funding will help North Bay Fire and Emergency Services review and strengthen our Emergency Management Program, including updates to our emergency, continuity of operations, and evacuation plans, as well as incorporating our wildfire prevention strategy and other partner plans,” says Fire Chief Jason Whiteley. “This work will significantly enhance our community’s emergency preparedness.”
