Province receives Fiona After-Action Review

After months of consultation and engagement with partners, stakeholders and Islanders, the Government of PEI has received the Fiona After-Action Review. 

An After-Action Review is a regular mechanism used in emergency management to examine how all levels of government and non-government agencies responded to a specific incident and to identify areas that could be improved for the next event.

“Hurricane Fiona was one of the biggest and most severe weather events to ever hit our Province, and is something that some Islanders and local businesses continue to deal with over a year later. As we continue down the recovery process, I am very pleased that our government has actionable items that have come directly from partners, stakeholders and Islanders that can help make our province more resilient and better prepared for years to come.”

- Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Chair of the Major Incident Readiness Team (MIRT) Bloyce Thompson

The review, conducted by the Calian Group, engaged with over 140 partner and stakeholder organizations, and included a public consultation process that collected feedback from over 300 Island households. These consultations helped identify over a dozen areas of strength in the Fiona response that should be sustained moving forward, and areas for improvement across six response categories. Areas identified for improvement include:

• Resource Management;
• Training and Exercise;
• Information Management and Distribution;
• Operational Concepts;
• Business Continuity; and
• Decision Centre and Situational Awareness Tools.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety (JPS) has accepted the recommendations put forward in the report, and Government has already started to take action on areas for improvements. The overarching objective will be to optimize resource capabilities with all partners and stakeholders through an across-government approach, and improve prioritization in areas such as Critical Infrastructure so that all Island communities can continue to meet their needs in the next event.

“While our organization has been working to improve internally as well as with many different organizations, partners and stakeholders since Fiona on our Island’s response, we are very pleased to have additional recommendations to work with moving forward,” said Director of PEI EMO Nick Policelli. “We look forward to continuing to develop and implement an action plan so that we can continue to improve public safety and enhance resiliency for these types of emergencies.” 

In anticipation of the review, Government has proactively taken measures since Fiona in ensuring communities across PEI enhance resiliency and are more adequately prepared for emergency events. Initiatives and beneficial actions taken since Hurricane Fiona include:

• Established a Major Incident Readiness Team (MIRT) that works with PEI EMO and other Government Departments to help ensure that Islanders are well informed of the potential of an emergency, the supports that are available in an emergency, and that response mechanisms are in place should a major event affect the Island;
• Modernized and invested in increased resources within PEI’s EMO by adding additional staff, technological advancements and capacity. 
• Secured generators for seniors living complexes across PEI through a $750,000 investment which prepared and provided government-owned seniors housing units with portable generators.
• Funding for NGOs across PEI to access generators through a $500,000 investment which ensures those residential NGO complexes that did not have generators received them, and provides grants to the following organizations that provide housing to purchase their own: Stars for Life, Community Inclusions, Community Connections, Souris Group Home, Inclusions East, and Queens County Residential Services.
• Increased funding and formal agreements with Community Reception Centres by making over $250,000 available to qualified non-profit community groups and municipalities to purchase generators and other resiliency supplies;
• Created a new Municipal and Community level fund of up to $500,000 to assist eligible reception centres in purchasing food and other supplies in the event EMO activates to level two (2) response;
• Enhanced emergency response efforts across PEI by investing $150,000 into local community emergency organizations as well as partners such as GSAR and Team Rubicon so that first responders have adequate plans and equipment in place for the next emergency;
• Partnered with United Way on over $200,000 investment, which provided emergency kits to Islanders in need by supplying the kits to community groups with specific cliental for further distribution;

Media contact:
Kip Ready
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Justice and Public Safety and PEI’s Emergency Measures Organization
kjready@gov.pe.ca