The unspeakable tragedies that struck New York City and Washington, DC. on September 11 raise questions and invite scrutiny by Canadians on the country's state of emergency preparedness.
Canada is not immune to large scale emergencies and disasters, and must be prepared. These include extreme weather, natural events (earthquakes), transportation disasters (bus, train, plane crashes), industrial accidents, large fires, mass murder/attempted murder (terrorism, shootings, bombings, poisoning).
Losses can be minimized if the emergency is identified immediately or if measures have been taken to prevent or control a predictable catastrophe. The federal government invests considerable resources to prevent disasters from occurring. For example, our firearms legislation is one of the reasons Canada has far fewer mass shootings than the US. Transportation of Dangerous Goods, the National Building Code and the National Fire Code are other examples of proactive legislation.
Local fire, police and ambulance services handle day-to-day emergencies such as 911 calls. They are always the first to be called if there is an emergency or disaster in the community. To be ready for unexpected catastrophes, communities need strong, well-funded, well-trained police, fire and ambulance services.
Budgets for these services must not be compromised, and they must be part of the decision making process whenever public safety is at risk. All governments, including the federal government, must ensure that these local services, as first responders, have the necessary funding and resources to get-the-job done, regardless of the size or nature of the emergency.
Preventing and preparing for small-scale incidents is critical if Canada is to be ready for large-scale catastrophes.
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