The City has drafted a proposal to update their current Emergency Management Bylaw to align with the province of Alberta’s.
The Alberta Emergency Management Act affects the City in terms of providing protection and services to manage an emergency situation. The City’s current bylaw is not up to date with the province’s for example, Alberta requires administrative committees to be formed and a Director of Emergency Management that currently do not exist for Lloydminster.
Mayor Gerald Aalbers says that the bylaw is intended to make sure everyone knows their responsibilities in an emergency situation.
“We as council have a responsibility, one of them is to be out on the front lines. We have responsibility as governance to the city so we want to make sure that was clearly laid out and that bylaw will be written thing up to date and ensure that everyone knows where the process follows.”
The recommendations for the updated bylaw include creating an advisory committee for emergency services, establishing an Emergency Managment Agency and giving authority to the Mayor and City Manager to declare a State of Local Emergency.