Provincial CBRNE/Hazmat/HUSAR Program
On behalf of the Province, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) oversees,
administers and supports Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with nine
municipal fire services. These MOUs enable trained responders to be deployed
throughout Ontario as needed in support of local responders dealing with
large scale natural or man-made emergencies that exceed local capacity, when
an emergency is being declared or contemplated:
- Three specialized expert (technician) Level 3 Chemical / Biological /
Radiological / Nuclear/Explosive (CBRNE) Response Teams (established in
Toronto, Windsor and Ottawa)
- Six operational support Level 2 teams (Peterborough, Cornwall, Sault
Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, North Bay, and Cambridge/Waterloo/Kitchener)
- One heavy urban search and rescue (HUSAR) team in Toronto to respond
anywhere in Ontario.
Fire coordinators for counties/regions/districts may request access to
provincial support from the teams by contacting the Provincial Emergency
Operations Centre (hotlink to
http://www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/english/AboutEmo/ProvincialEmergencyOperationsCentre/PEOC.html)
on a 24-hour basis.
These teams work and train collaboratively with the OPP Provincial
Emergency Response Team (PERT).
- The OFM’s own services and resources in support of CBRNE/Hazmat/HUSAR
responses that exceed local capabilities, and as the provincial liaison
during deployment of the MOU partner teams:
- Advice and assistance to local responders by hazardous materials
specialists
- Support to OFM’s own Fire Investigations Services (FIS) for complex
fires involving hazardous materials and, increasingly, clandestine drug
labs
- Total of five mobile units located at the Ontario Fire College (OFC)
and in Thunder Bay
- Resources including decontamination set up coupled with tent, portable
radios, self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), monitoring devices,
plugging kits, generators, and lighting, an SCBA refill station coupled
with air compressor (OFC and Thunder Bay), command post coupled with
satellite feed capability and on board computers and database systems at
OFC.
For more information please visit the Office of the Fire Marshal's web
site at: <http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca/>
For more information about this program visit these other web site:
