Training requirements and mandatory exercises

Overview

The Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation requires local authorities in Alberta to engage in regular training and exercises in order to prepare their communities for emergencies and disasters.

The training and exercises detailed below encompass the minimum emergency management programming required at the local level in Alberta. However, local authorities are encouraged to explore additional training and exercising opportunities in an effort to build community resilience to emergencies and disasters.

Legislated training requirements

Under sections 8, 10, and 11 of the Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation, the Managing Director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency prescribes the following training for elected officials and delegates, directors of emergency management agencies, and local authority employees.

Elected officials and delegates

Elected officials and delegates in Alberta, including municipal elected officials, Metis settlement officials, improvement district councillors, and special area board members must complete the following emergency management training within 90 days of assuming office:

• Local Authority Elected Official (LAEO)

Directors of emergency management agencies

Directors of emergency management, deputy directors of emergency management, and local authority employees with assigned responsibilities that may include the role of the director of emergency management must complete the following emergency management training within 18 months of their appointments:

• Basic Emergency Management (BEM)
• Director of Emergency Management (DEM)
• Incident Command System (ICS) I-100, I-200, and I-300

Local authority employees

Local authority employees with assigned responsibilities respecting the implementation of their local authority’s emergency plan must complete the following emergency management training within 6 months of receiving the assignment:

• Basic Emergency Management (BEM)
• Incident Command System (ICS) I-100

Mandatory exercise requirements

Under section 6 of the Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation, each local authority emergency management agency in Alberta is required to engage in exercises that test the validity of their emergency plans.

Tabletop exercises

Every year, each local authority in Alberta must engage in at least one tabletop exercise, where participants discuss how the local authority would respond to and resolve emergency management issues that may arise based on a likely significant emergency or disaster scenario.

Functional exercises

Every four years, each local authority in Alberta must engage in at least one functional exercise, where participants carry out actions as if responding to a likely significant emergency or disaster within their boundaries, in accordance with the local authority’s emergency plan, but do not deploy personnel or other resources.

Exemptions and extensions

In some exceptional cases, the Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation enables the Managing Director of AEMA to grant:

• Exemptions for individuals who complete courses identified and approved as substantially similar in content to the above-prescribed courses
• Extensions of time for individuals to complete their prescribed training

The Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation only exempts a local authority from completing its mandatory exercise requirements under the following conditions:

• A local authority in Alberta is not required to engage in a tabletop exercise during the same year that the local authority in question engages in at least one functional exercise.
• A local authority in Alberta is not required to engage in a functional exercise during the same four-year period that the local authority in question responds to a real-life significant emergency or disaster within its boundaries.

Contact

Connect with Alberta Emergency Management Agency Training:
Email: [email protected]

Address:
Alberta Emergency Management Agency
12360 142 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta  T5L 2H1

Related

• Emergency Management Legislation