North Dakota/Saskatchewan | Premier, Governor and Senator discuss Souris flood plan
Saskatoon | 3 Feb 2012
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall welcomed North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple and United States Senator John Hoeven for discussions on the preparation for spring runoff of the Souris River.
“We owe it to all the people throughout the Souris River Basin to meet their needs for short-term and long-term flood protection,” Dalrymple said. “Our on-going work has been productive and officials from both sides of the international border are committed to effective flood protection.”
“Over the last few months, Saskatchewan officials have worked closely with representatives from the United States and North Dakota,” Wall said. “It is important to us to be good neighbours and we will soon complete a plan to protect against the kind of flooding seen last year. We have already lowered levels at the Rafferty and Alameda Reservoirs in preparation for spring run off, and we will lower them further, if necessary.”
“Our biggest concern as spring approaches is to make sure all parties involved in use and management of the Souris River are co-ordinating closely to ensure there is ample storage in the reservoirs for both spring melt and summer rains,” Hoeven said. “That process is well underway, and so far Mother Nature is co-operating as well. We are also working closely with Premier Wall, his technical experts and the U.S. and Canadian governments to address changes in the International Agreement that are needed to improve flood management long term.”
Last year was by far the worst year on record for flooding on the Souris River. Heavy rains in June caused unprecedented flooding, far beyond the storage capacity of Saskatchewan’s reservoirs.
British columbia | BC Coroner confirms identity of children in house fire
Mackenzie | 3 Feb 2012
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of two young children who died on Jan. 31 in a house fire in the community of Mackenzie.
The deceased are Joseph and Gabrielle Fleury, who resided in the home with their parents and sister. The boy and girl were twins and would have turned two next month.
Joseph and Gabrielle died after a fire broke out in the home about 7 a.m. on Jan. 31. The parents and sister managed to escape, but despite the desperate efforts of family members, neighbours and first responders, Joseph and Gabrielle could not be rescued.
The Coroners Service is continuing its investigation into these deaths along with a fire investigator from the Prince George fire department and the RCMP.
The Coroners Service expresses our sympathy to the Fleury family, and also our appreciation to the police officers and Mackenzie fire department volunteers who worked so diligently on the rescue and recovery efforts.
British Columbia | Police issue Ecstacy warning
Central Saanich | 3 Feb 2012
The Central Saanich Police Service and the Sidney North Saanich RCMP are asking parents of teenagers to have a conversation with their kids tonight about the drug ecstasy.
Last week, Central Saanich Police officers responded to drug overdose at a house party in Saanichton. When emergency crews arrived, a teenage boy was found in medical distress after taking the drug ecstasy. At this party there were several under age youth and all were drinking alcohol.
Fortunately, one of the youth recognized the serious reaction the boy was having after taking the drug and called 911 and the boy has survived this overdose. Many others in British Columbia have not been so fortunate. On average, BC has 20 Ecstasy related deaths each year, however, there has been a significant spike in ecstasy related deaths in the last six months.
The Central Saanich Police Service and the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP recognize that drug usage does not have borders. Our communities are being affected by this drug and we are united in our message to keep our kids safe from the devastating harm of illicit drugs.
Our message to parents is to talk to your kids about the following:
· Talk to your kids about using drugs.
· There is no such thing as a “bad batch” of synthetic drugs, because there is no “good batch”. Every tablet represents a potentially serious health risk whether that be short term or long term.
· “Ecstasy” is a street name not a chemical formula. Producers may use a variety of dangerous chemicals and still sell pills as “Ecstasy”.
· There is no safe dosage when taking these pills. Even a single use can lead to serious illness or death.
· These drugs are produced in kitchens, garages, bathrooms and worse. There is no way to know what you are eating when you swallow a tablet.
· If your kids are at a house party and see someone in medical distress – CALL 911. It may save a life.
British Columbia | Four members of same family killed, one person injured in high-impact RTC near Barriere
Highway 5 near Barriere | 1 Feb 2012
In the evening of Wednesday, February 1st at approximately 8:30 PM, RCMP Central Interior Traffic Services and Barriere RCMP attended to a report of a motor vehicle accident along Highway #5 just north of Barriere, BC.
Early investigation indicates that an SUV (Suzuki Grand Vitara) traveling southbound on the highway lost control and slid across the highway into an oncoming tractor trailer.
The family of four in the SUV was en route from Edmonton to California. All four occupants of the vehicle, a 47 year-old male, 37 year-old female, a 7 year-old boy and 3 year-old girl, died as a result of the crash.
Driver: SHOKRI, Benham – age 47 yrs
Wife: HAMEDI KHORASANI, Shirin – age 37 yrs
Son: SHOKRI, Daniel – age 6 yrs
Daughter: SHOKRI, Delina – age 3 yrs
The driver of the trailer received minor injuries.
“Road conditions at the time of the accident were icy and typical for this time of the year in this area”, said S/Sgt. Steve Frayne, Unit Commander of Central Interior Traffic Services. “It is a devastating reminder for drivers to exercise caution on the roadways and to ensure their vehicles are prepared for the winter conditions.”
British Columbia | Off-duty RCMP officer rescues toddler from overturned submerged vehicle
Delta | 3 Feb 2012
On Wednesday Feb 1, 2012, at 7:00 AM, Alyse a 25-year-old mother of two and resident of Surrey, BC, was on her way to work when she swerved to avoid ducks waddling across Hwy 17. She reported losing control of her car which eventually came to rest overturned and partially submerged in a deep, overgrown, water filled ditch that runs adjacent to the Highway 17 in Delta, BC.
While not a witness to the collision, an off-duty RCMP officer and his wife were traveling south on Hwy 17 near 52nd Street in Delta, BC, when they observed a distraught, wet little boy climbing out of the ditch. The officer, Constable Aaron Jabs of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team, stopped at the scene and the six-year-old boy, Jordan, alerted him to an overturned vehicle in the ditch. Due to the overgrowth of vegetation and low light conditions at the time, the vehicle was described as being “virtually invisible” to passing traffic.
Leaving Jordan with his wife, Cst. Jabs rushed down the steep ditch and into the water where, according to the boy’s mother Alyse, a frantic attempt was being made to get into the car to save Haylee, her 2-year-old little girl.
“We were stuck inside and I wasn’t sure how we’d get out,” says Alyse. “Once I realized we were upside down I tried unsuccessfully to open the door. Then I told Jordan to open the rear passenger door and go get help… he walked around the car and up the embankment by himself and started to try to flag someone down. The man ran from his vehicle down the hill. I was so distraught, and I asked him for help to get her out… It was dark and hard to see. His wife brought their phone which had a flashlight on it and he was able to get my daughter out.”
Only after her release from hospital did Alyse learn that it had been an off-duty RCMP officer that had rescued her daughter. “I had no idea he was a police officer! I couldn’t have gotten my daughter out without him. I don’t know his name, but I’d love to meet him again to thank him and his family for what they did for me and my children,” says Alyse.
When asked about his heroic actions that morning, the officer responded: “I did what any off-duty RCMP officer would do in the same situation. I made sure they all got out of the car as quickly as possible, called 911, and then kept them all safe until emergency crews could arrive.”
“A situation like this shows that whether officers are on or off-duty, public safety remains their number one priority, no matter where they are or in what community. Cst.Jabs is an exceptional IHIT investigator so his display of humanity here shows an extension of the kind of person he is,” says Inspector Ward Lymburner, Operations Officer with the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. Cst. Jabs has seven years service with the RCMP and joined IHIT in 2011.
Lower Mainland District RCMP and EDIV Senior spokesperson Sgt. Peter Thiessen credits the fast action of the off-duty officer and Alyse’s use of proper child seats and seatbelts as the main reasons why there weren’t serious injuries as a result of the crash.
“Extremely violent levels of force are involved whenever a vehicle rolls or flips over while traveling at highway speeds. If vehicle occupants aren’t wearing their seatbelts and if child restraint systems aren’t properly installed when this occurs, an occupant ejection is almost inevitable with serious injuries or death as a result. The little girl here might have ended up unconscious and under water if she had not been properly secured in her child seat or if the vehicle position had shifted while submerged. Proper use of the child restraint and a fast extraction from the vehicle were crucial to the little girl’s safety in these circumstances,” says Sgt.Thiessen.
Alyse and her children were transported to hospital by ambulance following the collision for treatment of minor injuries and for further examination. All have since been released from hospital and are now safe at home.
British Columbia | Amy Chris wins BCAS Tony Sunderland Award
Amy Chris & Les Fisher
Fernie | 2 Feb 2012
On January 26, 2012, British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) paramedic Amy Chris of Hosmer, B.C. was awarded the annual Tony Sunderland Memorial Plaque of Pride for her dedication and loyalty to the BCAS and her community.
“Amy was the unanimous choice for this award,” said BCAS Chief Operating Officer Les Fisher, who officiated at the ceremony in Fernie. “For 11 years, she had been a trusted and enthusiastic leader of BCAS community programs in addition to directing local safety and educational programs.”
President of the Fernie Paramedic Association, Amy Chris leads the annual BCAS Fernie Christmas Food Drive for the Salvation Army that feeds over 1,000 people. She also organizes the annual Elk Valley P.A.R.T.Y. program for Grade 10 students, which supports reducing alcohol and risk-related trauma in youth.
BCAS nominators say Chris earned the award for her exceptional acts of giving, kindness and inspiration to fellow paramedics and volunteers.
The Tony Sunderland Award was developed by the BCAS, in consultation with the Sunderland family, to commemorate his commitment to excellent service. Sunderland was the first paramedic in B.C. to pass away while on duty in 1988.
Tony Sunderland, 41, collapsed and died of a heart attack while attending to two critical patients from a motor vehicle accident near Endako, BC. Tony was the first British Columbia paramedic to die while on duty. He was married and had two sons.
Alberta | One person killed, one injured in RTC in Edmonton
23 Avenue, 98 Street, Edmonton | 2 Feb 2012
Just after 9 a.m. on Feb. 2, 2012, the EPS received a report of a collision at 23 Avenue and 98 Street.
Preliminary investigations indicate that a half-ton truck travelling eastbound on 23 Avenue struck a Ford sedan that was travelling westbound on 23 Avenue, attempting to make a left hand turn on 98 Street.
The truck struck the Ford sedan on the passenger side. The female passenger who was in her 80s was treated at the scene by EMS and transported to hospital, where she passed away.
The male driver of the Ford sedan, also in his 80s, sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver did not report any injuries.
Traffic Section is investigating. No charges have been laid at this time. All roads have been re-opened following the on-site investigation.
Newfoundland | Emergency management planning encouraged as deadline approaches
Newfoundland and Labrador | 2 Feb 2012
Most communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are either working towards or have completed updated emergency management plans. The Emergency Services Act, which was proclaimed in 2009, requires all municipalities, local service districts, and Inuit communities to have updated emergency management plans in place by May, 2012.
“The Provincial Government continues to assist communities in meeting their legislative obligations to ensure our communities are in the best possible position to react during the next emergency,” said the Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services. “All communities have an obligation to ensure appropriate plans are developed, updated and exercised regularly so as to be ready to respond to the needs of residents. I urge everyone to look at their level of preparedness and encourage all communities to strive to meet the approaching deadline.”
To date, 350 communities representing 95 per cent of the population have either completed, nearly completed or initiated the emergency planning process. Regional emergency management and planning officers throughout Newfoundland and Labrador have provided dedicated, hands-on support in assisting community leaders in all areas of the province to meet their legislated obligation.
Minister O’Brien noted the development of a provincial emergency management plan is also on track for completion by the May, 2012 deadline. The intent of the provincial plan is to outline the roles and responsibilities of Provincial Government departments in responding to an emergency event and how essential public services will be continued. The provincial emergency management plan will be based on best practices in the emergency management field and informed by the experiences encountered in Newfoundland and Labrador.
FES-NL conducts semi-annual Fire and Emergency Services training schools, and regional firefighter training sessions in an effort to provide important instruction, guidance, and assistance. Provincial staff have held more than 200 workshops, meetings, and training sessions in emergency management since 2010.
The resource guide used to assist in emergency management plan development is available on the FES-NL website, www.gov.nl.ca/fes/emo/municipalplanning.html
British Columbia | Sechelt teenager saves his dad with CPR
Sechelt | 27 Jan 2012
Paul Jensen and his father, John, were installing pre-built stairs when John collapsed and stopped breathing. “I called 911 and the dispatcher told me how to do CPR on my dad and that the compressions have to be deep.”
BC Ambulance Service Paramedics Cheryl Jensen and Chris Watkins arrived within minutes of the emergency to find Paul still doing great compressions. “Deep pressure on the heart stimulates circulation throughout the body and primes the heart for therapy when the paramedics arrive,” says Sechelt Unit Chief Scott Spain.
John Jensen who has fully recovered will also attend the medal presentation. He says “my son’s only CPR training was years ago with the Boy Scouts.”
Alberta | Plain language Household Emergency Action plan released in recognition of Family Literacy Day
Calgary | 27 Jan 2012
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