Brighton, Cramahe, Cobourg, and the Township of Hamilton are getting provincial boosts to enhance emergency responses, upgrade critical equipment, improve co-ordination during severe weather events and more, Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini has announced.
Piccini said the combined $147,641.62 is coming through Ontario’s community emergency preparedness grant stream.
“These investments in emergency response initiatives, equipment upgrades and training are essential to protecting and strengthening our rural communities,” said Piccini. “By enhancing emergency response capabilities, we are prepared to face the unique challenge that faces our communities and ensure we remain safe and resilient.”
About $32,250 will help Cramahe to contract a specialized training company with a goal of enhancing the capabilities of staff, first-responders and other key stakeholders to respond effectively to a wide range of emergencies and critical incidents, said officials.
The monies are supposed to help Cramahe run practical training and scenario-based exercises, with an emphasis on winter-related emergencies.
In Brighton, about $49,391 is being dedicated to helping strengthen emergency communications and enhance response capabilities during emergency events, including during winter weather, ice storms and wildland fires. This mean upgrades to emergency operations centre communications, the purchase of two-way radio systems to ensure reliable co-ordination among first-responders, the integration of drone technology to improve situational awareness, enhancements to wildland fire-fighting capacity, and more, explained officials.
In Cobourg, about $50,000 is also going towards enhancing emergency operations centre’s communication capabilities to support responses during winter weather emergencies. Funding will upgrade equipment, support virtual and in-person operations, and provide training and outreach to strengthen co-ordination during snowstorms, ice storms, flooding, and high-wind events, reads a recent release from Piccini’s office.
“The upgrades will ensure faster activation, smoother co-ordination among partners and more effective emergency response.”
Meanwhile, the Township of Hamilton has picked up $16,000 to equip the community with two mobile emergency trailers designed to support rapid, consistent road closures and traffic control during major incidents, reported officials, adding this will help in severe weather situations, highway shutdowns, collisions, power outages and other emergencies requiring immediate detours to protect first-responders and keep the public safe.
Specifically, officials said these additions will help ensure staff can deploy road closure equipment quickly from a centralized unit.
