Correspondence

Here are some email list service messages regarding emergency services. They were generated after the January 2008 Downtown Toronto Blackout.

January 19 2009, e-mail to diggingin@yahoogroups.com from Barbara Switzer, Emergency Planning Coordinator, Toronto Public Health

Hi all,

I am an emergency planning coordinator for Toronto Public Health (TPH) and I work closely with Shelter Support & Housing (SSHA), a city department, that is responsible for opening shelters and coordinating services for people affected by an extreme event / emergency. On Thursday, January 16th TPH & SSHA attended an emergency meeting at the city's emergency operations centre to discuss a coordinated city response.

Here are some of the highlights of the response as of noon on Friday January 16th:

Reception Centres - were opened for people affected by the power outage. Metro Hall, York CC, libraries, area community centres, Queen's Park were open all day. Pets are permitted to attend at all reception centres. The Province offered sites for 4 other centres, as did the Toronto District School Board and a west end Baptist Church.

Social Housing - was contacting all their providers to request that those affected by the outage check on vulnerable tenants

Greater Toronto Apartment Association - has sent emails to members requesting that they ask their site staff to check on vulnerable tenants and report back with any issues

Hostels - of 14 purchase of service shelters in the general affected area there are only 2 that appear to have been affected by the black out and 1 that lost power but has since had it restored

Frail Elderly and Disabled - Castleview Wychwood Towers staff are providing a phone line for frail elderly who require transportation to a reception centre - 416 - 392 9391. They are receiving a number of calls. People who want City staff to check on their relatives/friends because they are not able to, are to call Access Toronto who will arrange for a visit from city staff to check on them. This information will be provided in a press release that will go out shortly.

Toronto Public Health - No offices were closed due to power outage. Health Inspec tors and Public Health Nurses are assisting with the response for vulnerable residents

The city has an emergency plan and does activate services in the event of a large scale emergency. For more information, see the following websites:

http://wx.toronto.ca/inter/it/newsrel.nsf/7017df2f20edbe2885256619004e428e/5444754db58e29278525754300524f4d?OpenDocument

and

http://www.toronto.ca/wes/techservices/oem/

I hope this information is helpful. Barbara Switzer Emergency Planning Coordinator Community Crisis Support Lead Toronto Public Health 416-338-8020

January 19 2009, e-mail from A.J. (diggingin@yahoogroups.com)

Yes this is all great but how are people suppose to find out about these services during the time of the outage?

I listened to the CBC all day and they kept mentioning these "warming centres" that were open to the public but they did not mention where they were located or a number to call to find out.

The power outage phone number for Toronto Hydro should have had this information on its phone message recording but it did not.

These services are only helpful if people know that they are available at the time of the emergency, not in an email after the fact.

January 19 2009, e-mail Barbara Switzer, Emergency Planning Coordinator, Toronto Public Health

Hi again, I was not aware that important information on accessing services was not readily available. I will pass on all your comments and concerns to the Medical Officer of Health and the Office of Emergency Management. Hopefully getting feedback from those affected, will give us direction for improvement next time. Thank you for you feedback.

January 19 2009. e-mail from Donna Cowan, Chair, DIGIN, (diggingin@yahoogroups.com)

Hi Barbara, Thanks for posting the information on the DIGIN listserve. It is much appreciated.

However, Janice is correct - information was difficult to obtain on Thursday and Friday.

Could you let us know where the closest warming centre to Bloor and Dufferin would be? With the hot summer weather coming…where would the closest cooling centre be?

Are these locations designated as such on a fulltime/year round basis? For example, are certain buildings designated ‘emergency’ centres….and if you know this could you head to this location whether it be summer or winter? Or do the ‘emergency’ centres change based on the emergency or the season?

January 20, 2009, e-mail from A.S. to Barbara Switzer, Emergency Planning Coordinator, Toronto Public Health

Thank you for your time speaking with me this morning. Here is a list of things to consider.

Queen's Park was not available to "black-outers" till 6:00pm. The security at the front desk allowed us to wander around the entrance hall, but pointed us to the nearest reception ctr., being Metro Hall.

Being a camping family we had our radio, no problem. I wish the info given to us was more realistic. I understand the need to keep positive thinking. However it would have been a great saving to many residents had we been told to find the lowest water faucet in the house and let the water run lightly before signing out to sleep. I did get up at 4:00am and turn on the water in the laundry tub, however it must have been too little, my water was gone by 8:00am. This has happened before, so it was not a big stress situation.

On Friday morning my 9 year old was not impressed to hear on the radio that we should check on the web site, to find the closest reception ctr.! Website, I guess if you have a Blackberry!

Telephone: old technology is great (911 does not work with "electricity sucking telephones"), only telephone jack connection to the wall! I found my children's old "Winnie the Pooh" telephone. Thank goodness for my children. It is important to know how your furnace or water heater function. If it is gas, does it come on automatically or does the pilot light need to be manually restarted?

Toilets: Funny thing, I was happy to see that one of my children had not pulled the plug on the tub on Thursday evening. We had lots of water to flush the toilet! I have had thoughts in regards to that. I wish I had a ?grey? water tank in the basement to keep the bathtub water to do laundry. I guess this is something city planning should look into.

The schools were closed. I am sure Toronto Hydro can give out the postal codes, of the neighbourhood with out service, to use facilities (ROM, AGO, Science Ctr., Gardener Museum, Bata Shoe Museum, .....) and let these people in for free.

Drinking water- well I cook with gas, I could have boiled some snow! But for people who cook entirely with electricity, this must have been tough.