When they happen, disasters confront municipalities with complex problems: unusual situations, many responders, need for expertise, assistance to victims, public information, etc. Most municipalities can handle emergency situations with their own resources. But in a disaster situation, municipalities can quickly require help from external organizations -- should it be public, private or voluntary -- which interventions all have to be coordinated by the municipalities. So it is important for municipalities to clarify its function in relation with those of its possible partners. This preparation is usually done during municipal emergency measures planning.
During a disaster, municipalities have numerous partners: departments and organizations participating in the Organisation de la sécurité civile du Québec, volunteer groups like the Red Cross, ham radio networks, rescue teams, humanitarian organizations, industries affected by the disaster of having equipment to offer to municipalities, neighbouring municipalities, service providers, local institutions like educational, health care and social service institutions, etc. There could be many more, depending on the seriousness of the disaster. These organizations can all provide useful services to the affected municipalities.
Municipalities must:
In order to prevent disasters, municipalities must develop an emergency plan, identify risk factors on their territory and adopt measures to reduce the consequences of these risks. Similarly, they can regulate land management to prevent the construction of buildings, like private residences and educational or health care institutions, in hazard zones.
Through their emergency plans, municipalities determine how they will coordinate response actions during a disaster and what resources will be needed. Municipalities must identify all the organizations which could provided them with resources, conclude an agreement with them, if necessary, and develop an emergency and mobilization procedure. The best way to ensure everybody knows his or her duties and to get to know other responders is to do some planning and hold some joint exercises with representatives from local institutions, like schools and health and social services institutions, and industries at risk.
If a disaster occurs, the municipality is responsible for the coordination of response actions on its territory by implementing its emergency plan.
Partners are on site to help the affected municipality during the disaster and not to take over its responsibilities. The coordination of departments and organizations by the Organisation de la sécurité civile du Québec at the regional and national levels is only aimed at giving municipalities access to governmental resources through only one body. However, some departments and organizations have legal responsibilities to assume with regard to public health, the environment, foods, etc.
Similarly, an agreement concluded with an organization or a business for the provision of specific services, for example help to disaster victims, does not deny the municipality its responsibilities to that regard. It must ensure that services are provided with the best means possible, while remaining legally accountable before its citizens.
Disasters are events requiring all available energies. That is why it is critical to maintain co-operation and support relationships with all eventual responders and citizens to prevent disasters from occurring and, if they do occur, to respond appropriately. And all that begins with the respect of each other's roles.
Last Updated: 2004-05-05