A new Emergency Coordinator has been appointed to head the Westman Emergency Group which consists of the RM of Sifton, RM of Wallace-Woodworth, and the Town of Virden.
Scott Simpson took over this week from the Temporary Emergency Coordinator Kelvon Smith who has had the helm for three years and five months.
Working out of the Emergency Group’s new office space at 227 Wellington Street East (Virden Employment Skills building), the new coordinator states “I think Kel has done a terrific job, and I just want to continue the good work that he’s done.”
Simpson has been working in Virden for just over two years. His education and experience make him a good fit for this position of responsibility in a crisis.
He is ex-military with a degree in political studies (University of Manitoba). Working with Discovery Safety Services Ltd. as a responder, he is also a first aid teacher and paramedic. Simpson also works with the Wallace District Fire Department in Virden.
“With my background I have a little planning experience,” he said adding that he was part of the response team during the 1997 ‘flood of the century’ where the military was called in to support civil authorities. He is following just such a situation in LaRonge, SK where the Canadian army has been called to assist as fire threatens an entire town.
“I think in this position I would be a good liaison between civil authorities and especially with emergency responders, Wallace and District Fire Department, EMS, and other organizations...in the event of something...really unlikely to happen.”
Simpson will be working with a core group of 22 volunteers who, in the event of a natural or manmade disaster, operate the Emergency Operations Centre and the Evacuation Centre. According to a press release, he will have volunteer managers taking care of social services, transportation, registration and inquiry, media, security and investigations, chief scribe, communications, Facebook and Twitter, and personnel.
He says WEG becomes involved when “the incident exceeds local resources.”
Cold weather brings a likelihood of an emergency. “A snow event is very likely, and it’s not just the highways being closed.” He recounts the ice storm this spring that took out electrical service for people in the area. With no electricity and no utilities, local resources were temporarily overwhelmed. WEG has a plan in place for such future events.
