About the agency
Ten small communities, one regional plan. The Pigeon Lake Regional Emergency Management Agency lets the Summer Villages around the lake plan, train and respond together.
What we do
Emergency management is the ongoing work of preventing, mitigating, preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies that threaten people, property, the environment and the local economy. For the Pigeon Lake Summer Villages, that means:
- Maintaining a Regional Emergency Management Plan, reviewed every year, that sets out how the Summer Villages respond together.
- Assessing the hazards, risks and vulnerabilities around the lake.
- Training elected officials, staff and volunteers, and running regular exercises.
- Operating an Emergency Coordination Centre during a major event.
- Coordinating with neighbouring counties, fire services, RCMP, Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Emergency Management Agency.
- Helping residents and visitors prepare.
Who is involved
Summer Village councils
Each of the ten councils is a local authority under Alberta's Emergency Management Act, and only a council can declare a State of Local Emergency for its community.
Emergency Advisory Committee
Representatives from each council, who oversee the regional program and plan and report back to their councils.
Director of Emergency Management
Leads the regional program day to day: the plan, training, exercises and readiness of the Emergency Coordination Centre.
Partners
Local fire departments, RCMP, Alberta Health Services, Leduc County, the County of Wetaskiwin, and provincial agencies including AEMA.
Contact your Summer Village office first. They are the right place for questions about local services, bylaws and contact details. For any emergency, call 9-1-1.
How we respond
Day-to-day emergencies are handled by fire, police and ambulance services. The regional agency steps in when an event grows beyond what first responders can handle alone: for example, a wildfire that threatens homes, a major storm, a prolonged power outage, or anything that requires an evacuation.
We use the Incident Command System (ICS), the standard used by emergency services across Canada. It lets organizations work together under one structure, with common terms, and grow the response as the incident grows.
In every emergency, our priorities are, in order:
- Life safety: for the public and for responders
- Stabilizing the incident
- Protecting property
- Protecting the environment
- Protecting the local economy and restoring services
Our history
In 2010, the ten Pigeon Lake Summer Villages met with the Alberta Emergency Management Agency to look at how small communities could manage emergencies more effectively together. Supported by a provincial Regional Collaboration grant, a working committee of the Summer Villages' administrators, a consultant and AEMA's field officer spent several years assessing hazards and building a joint regional plan. Each council then adopted the regional approach.
In 2014, the agency received an Alberta Municipal Excellence Award for its regional approach to emergency management.
Volunteer with us
Emergency Social Services, reception centre staffing and other roles depend on trained local volunteers. If you would like to help, contact us. We'll tell you about training and upcoming opportunities.