Friday, November 15, 2013
City of London
City Takes Part in Emergency Training Exercise
Representatives from every aspect of London’s emergency management teams convened today at the City’s Emergency Operations Centre in Byron to take part in an emergency training exercise.
London Police, London Fire Services, Middlesex-London Emergency Medical Service (EMS), the Middlesex-London Health Unit, London Hydro, Union Gas, the Upper Thames Conservation Authority and the City of London all took part in the preplanning and tabletop exercise, which simulated a severe flooding event.
Mayor Fontana is pleased with London's level of preparedness. He says, "Emergencies by nature and definition are unpredictable. They require us to be clear headed, quick thinking and action driven. We cannot predict the future but we can prepare and ready ourselves for whatever challenge may arise. We educate ourselves and we simulate crisis so we can be confident in our ability to perform under duress and to provide the best outcome for Londoners."
As part of today’s preplanning, a presentation was given by William Seelig, New York Fire Department Chief of Special Operations on the impact of Hurricane Sandy and how the NYFD and various other agencies managed and learned from the event.
“London’s emergency responders benefit greatly from hearing the experiences of other responders in actual emergencies,” says Dave O’Brien, Division Manager of Corporate Security and Emergency Management. “Understanding and learning from the challenges experienced by others in times of crisis help us prepare for our own potentially life threatening situations.”
The City’s Emergency Operation Centre is a state of the art facility designed to be the epicenter for coordination and planning response in an emergency situation. It is situated in the building adjacent to Fire Hall #12 in Byron.
Media Contact:
Dave O’Brien
Divison Manager
Corporate Security & Emergency Management
City of London
519-661-2500 ext 2459
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