The RM of Sifton, which includes the town of Oak Lake, has decided to leave Westman Emergency Group (WEG), draft its own emergency plan and hire its own coordinator.
Until now, WEG included members from Sifton, the Town of Virden, the RM of Wallace-Woodworth and Elkhorn. It was originally formed so the neighbouring municipalities could mount a coordinated response to emergencies.
But at their Feb. 8 meeting, Sifton councillors voted to “disengage” from the group.
Area too big
Reeve Cyril Druwe says there wasn’t a single incident that prompted the move but, “We felt the area was too big for just one coordinator and we wanted a more localized service.”
He said his council feels having its own plan and manager will work better in emergency situations like a derailment, power outage or major blizzard like the one that slammed the area last March.
Druwe also thinks it will be easier to recruit volunteers to a smaller organization that’s closer to home. He says it seems to be the way other rural municipalities are going.
“We did our homework,” he says. “I phoned other RMs - Whitehead, Souris-Glenwood, Grassland, and Pipestone – they all have their own emergency coordinators and plans.”
Minimal impact
Garth Mitchell, CAO of the RM of Wallace-Woodworth, says it was good having Sifton as part of WEG when coordinating joint actions such as highway closures.
Otherwise, both Mitchell and Virden Mayor Jeff McConnell predict minimal impact on their municipalities other than having to split WEG’s minimal costs two ways instead of three. Those costs include the coordinator’s pay and any equipment needed.
The three municipalities had also been sharing Napier Emergency Consulting’s fees. The firm was hired to help draft an emergency plan. Those fees will not increase as result of Sifton’s departure.
Meanwhile, WEG has been operating without a permanent manager since Scott Simpson resigned from the post about 12 months ago. Barb Stambuski has been filling in as interim coordinator.
