N.B. Organizes Emergency Preparedness Exercise

How would New Brunswick communities deal with a severe heat wave followed by a tropical storm?

That simulation is expected to play out in June during a provincewide emergency preparedness exercise.

Exercise Brunswick Charlie 2020 is the third such exercise organized by the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization since 2018.

Geoffrey Downey, a spokesperson for NBEMO, said it is a chance for municipalities, First Nations and local service districts to practice their respective roles during an emergency.

“This is an opportunity for someone else to set up the exercise,” said Downey.

“Communities that might not have the resources of a larger city are in a position to take advantage of what NBEMO and its partners can offer.”

The one-day exercise will revolve around severe weather unfolding across the province.

Officials say advanced weather reporting, simulated social media, and web-based news reporting will add to the realism of the exercise.

Downey said each community taking part will decide how they want to participate and at what level.

“If they want to treat it as a tabletop [exercise], they can do it that way. If they want to go a little more in-depth, they can certainly do that, too,” he said.

About 80 communities and organizations across the province took part in the exercise each of the last two years, said Downey.

He said exercises like these are important because resiliency begins at a community level.

“Just as we talk about families having their own plans and 72-hour preparedness kits, on a wider scale as far as a community or city goes, they need these kinds of things as well.”

In a statement, Public Safety Minister Carl Urquhart said joint exercises like this have helped communities become better prepared for emergencies when they happen.

An initial planning conference is set to take place in Fredericton on Tuesday. The exercise itself is scheduled for June 2.