Ontario’s Ford Government  Prepares for Extreme Heat Emergencies to Keep People Safe

Exercise Heatwave to take place between May 7th and 9th

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted May 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – While reading this News Release from a Ford Government that has done so little to address our climate crisis and has actually done  more to fuel it, it is hard to know whether to laugh or to cry tears of dismay and anger.

Do Doug Ford and his enablers have any idea why we are having more frequent extreme heat emergencies?

Does it dawn on them that scientists around the world are now convinced, based on real evidence, that there is a link between these more frequent extreme heat episodes and a continued rise in global temperatures due, in no small part, to governments like Ford’s failing to take the leadership so urgently needed to address the climate crisis?

Finally, why does the Ford government never seem to take conserving energy consumption into consideration during extreme heat waves to, at the very least, reduce the risks of widespread energy blackouts?

With that, here is the Ford government’s news release.)

TORONTO — As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, the Government of Ontario is hosting Exercise Heatwave, a large-scale simulated exercise which will reinforce provincial procedures and response to heat-related emergencies.

“Exercise Heatwave is a valuable opportunity to practise and plan for our response to potential extreme heat emergencies,” said Caroline Mulroney, President of the Treasury Board and Minister responsible for Emergency Management. “Planning exercises like this one will play a critical role in keeping Ontarians safe while reducing economic strain and minimizing impacts on our infrastructure and environment.”

Exercise Heatwave is part of the government’s multi-year Provincial Exercise Program to strengthen the province’s emergency plans and whole-of-government emergency response.

The exercise will help enhance coordination and collaboration between government and non-governmental partners during future emergencies.

Six municipalities will participate, including Guelph, Mississauga, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Toronto, along with three federal government departments and more than 50 non-governmental organizations.

Exercise Heatwave, which takes place between May 7 and 9, will not affect the public and no provincial services will be impacted.

As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, the province is also reminding Ontarians of the steps they can take to keep safe during heat-related and other emergencies, including:

Making an emergency plan that considers everyone’s needs in your household;

Building an emergency preparedness kit with year-round essentials and seasonal items such as sunscreen and bug spray;

Being aware of the signs of heat-related illnesses such as heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke and know what actions to take if you experience any of these symptoms; and

Checking in regularly on individuals who may be more susceptible to heat.

For more helpful tips about keeping safe, visit Ontario.ca/BePrepared.

Quick Facts

• To support municipalities in times of emergency, the province coordinates emergency management through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC), which is staffed at all times and monitors evolving situations inside and outside of Ontario. To make the space more efficient and enable greater collaboration and information sharing, the PEOC was recently modernized with a new video display wall and floor layout, an upgraded audio system, ergonomic desks and chairs, a breakout room and folding walls that allow the space to be divided into three separate rooms that can be used for different functions.
• The government is taking further action to ensure the province is as prepared as possible in the event of an emergency. In April, Ontario released its first annual report on the Provincial Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan, highlighting progress made in 2023 to move emergency management forward. The province also recently announced the 113 recipients of the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant, a $5 million investment that is empowering communities and organizations to enhance their emergency response by helping them purchase critical emergency supplies and deliver training and services.
• On May 15, there will be a routine test of the AlertReady emergency alerting system in Ontario. The test message will be distributed over TV, radio and compatible wireless devices and will occur at 12:55 p.m. EDT.

Visit alertready.ca for more information.

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