Emergency Management – 211 Role in Emergency Response and Recovery
Posted in: Working with 211Municipalities and communities have the safety and well-being of their residents as a primary consideration every day and during emergencies. 211 can reduce the load on municipalities and help them focus their resources in ways that they are uniquely equipped to do. Being able to get relevant and accurate information to the public and respond to public concerns is a priority.
- For emergency responders and municipal managers, 211 provides a channel for authoritative information to the public about anything relevant to the emergency that does not require police, fire or ambulance, such as the location of emergency shelters, where to get basic supplies and how to donate goods. This helps to alleviate the non-emergency calls that go to 911 and other municipal phone lines.
- In addition to the public inquiry role, the database skills of 211 staff include the capability to develop disaster databases of emerging information as required.
- A further key capability of 211 service is call tracking and reporting on trends in caller needs and gaps in service.
Municipal Protocols
A communications protocol between a municipality and 211 is important: (a) mutual notification information; (b) agreed upon activation procedures and (c) ongoing two-way communication processes e.g. municipalities share media releases and other information with 211 as the situation changes and direct the public to call 211 for non-emergency information. Municipal Emergency Information Officers are the key providers of information that the public needs in an accurate and timely way, so having effective lines of communication are important.
For more information please contact:
Marie Klassen, Executive Director; 807-624-1721
Kristen Tomcko, Manager; 807-624-1724
Emergency Food Response Plan
In November 2023, the Emergency Food Plan (EFP) was launched to strengthen Thunder Bay’s Emergency Plan by addressing food access during crises. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the gaps in Thunder Bay’s food system, causing a rise in food insecurity. In response, local organizations formed the Food Access Coalition to ensure no one went hungry.
The EFP aims to support vulnerable populations who face regular food insecurity and those impacted by emergencies that disrupt food access. It provides a coordinated network of resources and partnerships, developed through collaboration with Food Access Coalition and the Primary Partners Table, that can be activated in times of crisis.
