By: Tom Schneider
No. of pages 1
My chief observation with the CRCA is how well small units, without complex levels or channels of bureaucracy, can function-especially in a crisis situation. The key seems to lie in hiring competent people and then letting them do their jobs.
Bill Warwick noted that their operation was small enough that an emergency plan might not be such a good idea, since the staff was in daily contact and could adapt to changing situations. This is a good point, although there are likely some general emergency principles or protocols which would help staff get started, or initially organized, given any major crisis situation. For example, regardless of the reason, a power failure would automatically prompt a certain response-such as neigbouring conservation authorities picking up water level monitoring tasks.
It is easy to comment in hindsight, but I have been generally surprised at the lack of backup power systems in organizations that critically need power to carry out important tasks. Also, regarding the lending of equipment, the Authority could have told the Municipality that certain things were available, but not held off on using them in the mean time.
Generally my feeling is that, given the large size of their jurisdiction and small size of their initial staff, they did a remarkable job. The question is, had the flooding materialized, how would they have coped?
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