Mountain View County councillors have discussed a proposal that would see emergency social services and emergency management in the province amalgamated into a single government ministry.
The discussion occurred during the Nov. 8 council meeting and revolved around a proposed resolution to be voted on at the upcoming Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMDC) convention.
If passed by association members the resolution would be used to lobby the provincial government for action.
The resolution, put forward by St. Paul County, specifically calls on the province to "consolidate emergency social services and emergency management into a single government ministry with a single emergency coordination centre to eliminate duplication and enhance coordination of provincial support to local authorities."
Division 2 councillor Greg Harris called the proposal a good one.
"It's a good idea," said Harris. "It's not entirely clear how it would flesh out. After the emergency event is over, the thing that troubles people the most and causes the most concern is how we recover and how we provide stability for people. When there is a disconnect between the two different ministries running it, it is a huge problem.
"You saw in Fort McMurray (where wildfires force massive evacuations in 2014) where people were waiting for days and weeks and even months and just left in limbo, and that is the difficulty I see when you have two different processes. If it fleshes out the way I'm thinking of it, I see it as a real positive step."
Division 5 councillor Angela Aalbers said she is not convinced the amalgamation would be a good move.
"I know they are connected and I get the fact that they are obviously linked, but emergency management services I think requires a different skill set and a different focus than the social services," said Aalbers.
"I'm interested to hear the discussion and the debate (at the AAMDC convention)," she added.
In the background note accompanying the proposed resolution, St. Paul County officials said, in part, "Alberta has seen several large-scale disasters in recent years that have highlighted the need for closer integration of emergency social services and emergency management.
"This progressive approach should be reflected at the provincial level to align training, planning, and responding to emergencies in a clear, unified manner."
"When there is a disconnect between the two different ministries running it, it is a huge problem."Greg HarrisMountain View County councillor
