City leads evacuation response exercise

The City of Medicine Hat’s Incident Management Team successfully led an evacuation response exercise at Medicine Hat College on Tuesday, December 2. The functional exercise simulated the arrival of evacuees from a northern First Nations community displaced by wildfire and focused on testing reception processes, service coordination, and culturally appropriate supports. Ensuring First Nations cultural relevance was a key component of the exercise, guided by community partners to support respectful, informed, and appropriate approaches to receiving and assisting evacuees.

“The purpose of this exercise was to determine our capabilities and service levels should we receive evacuees from another community,” says Trampas Brown, Manager of Emergency Management. “We also used the opportunity to bring our Planning, Logistics, and Finance teams together to practice their roles and strengthen coordination.”

The exercise activated the City’s Emergency Social Services Plan, allowing teams to test procedures, identify gaps, and document available community supports, including services offered by several non-government organizations (NGOs). A new software tool was also deployed, enabling the Incident Management Team to track available resources - such as hotel rooms, food services, and other essentials - and monitor their deployment in real time. 

Learnings from the exercise will be used to update and improve the City’s Emergency Social Services Plan to ensure a more efficient and effective response during real incidents. 

Legislation requires municipalities to conduct at least one emergency exercise each year. These exercises provide valuable opportunities to prepare, learn, and continuously improve so the City is ready to respond when needed.

The exercise involved participation from City staff, Medicine Hat College staff and students, the Miywasin Friendship Centre, Red Cross, Animal Pound Services (APC), the Root Cellar, the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce, the Medicine Hat Accommodation Association (MHAA), Alberta Health Services (AHS), and the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA).

Media inquiries: media@medicinehat.ca