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Emergency Preparedness History and Governance

BASES Emergency Preparedness Committee oversees a coordinated response between industry and local government to safety issues arising in Sarnia-Lambton. This collaboration allows response teams to continually improve emergency preparedness and procedures and ensures that emergency resources across the region are available to any member site at any time as needed. Continue reading to learn more about the history and governance of BASES Emergency Preparedness.

Our History

1951
On May 6, 1951, an explosion occurred at the Polymer Corporation Plant in Sarnia that could be seen from 150km away. Public onlookers gathered at the site fence, impeded first responders, and exposed themselves to the release. Within three days of the incident, the Chemical Valley Emergency Traffic Control Committee was formed with a focus on providing emergency related information to the public in a quick and accurate manner. Within a year, the industry funded the creation of the Chemical Valley Emergency Control System that coordinated municipal fire, police, schools, businesses, and industry to collectively improve preparedness for industrial emergencies.
1957
A new committee evolved for the development of best practices around emergency preparedness specifically for industrial firefighting. This group was called the Chemical Valley Fire Fighting Mutual Aid Committee.
1971
The Fire and Traffic Committees came together to form the Chemical Valley Emergency Control Organization, commonly known as CVECO. By the 1980s, the second C was changed from “Control” to “Coordinating” to better reflect the intention of the organization.
1984
The practices put in place because of the formation of these committees led to the Sarnia-Lambton area being recognized on a global scale for emergency response. Following the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in India because of a release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) in Bhopal, representatives from different agencies and companies from around the world visited Sarnia to engage with local industry and government leaders to benchmark community preparation in the event of a chemical emergency.
1986
All plants across the Sarnia-Lambton area had established their own programs for community engagement and identified an opportunity to combine and centralize their resources to align on one common strategy for the region. This resulted in the formation of Sarnia-Lambton Community Awareness and Executive Response. By the end of 1986, the E in CAER was updated from Executive to Emergency. A new CAER Committee was created and supported by all members of the Lambton Industrial Society and local governments. The initial purpose of SL CAER was to:
  • Maintain communication between industrial members ensuring awareness of individual corporate activities in the field of acute hazard awareness communication with the public.
  • Maintain maximum credibility of information dissemination to the public by ensuring that the timing and content of corporate material avoids ambiguity and duplication to the degree possible, and that it conforms generally to the overall communication plan objectives and priorities.
  • Prepare an ongoing plan of communications to the public in the areas of hazard identification and awareness, and personal response and protection.
Leaders from industrial sites in Sarnia were also leaders with the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA). Through this national organization, they launched Responsible Care®. The influence of LIS on the CCPA was clear in how a reference to “CAER” became as the first of the six Codes of Practice for Responsible Care®. In 1986, the municipality of Sarnia was awarded the CAER Achievement Award by the CCPA, signifying integrated industrial-community preparedness for an emergency.
2020
Since 1986, Responsible Care® has been adopted by 96 of the 100 largest chemical producers in the world and is recognized by the United Nations as a model for sustainability. Responsible Care® is now administered through the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC). The SL CAER facilitates a regional approach to community notification using cutting edge internet technology, regional network of sirens, radio broadcast procedures, and defined traffic control measures. SL CAER coordinates highly complex regional emergency exercises that challenge both industry and government responders to coordinate notification, deployment, communication, response team coordination, specialized equipment and resource allocations, mutual aid, and emergency command. Members of SL CAER work to engage directly with the community to educate the public about industrial risks and steps required by residents surrounding facilities to properly prepare for, and respond to, emergencies. These efforts are supplemented by regular engagement with local school boards to create promotional and education events to heighten awareness using age appropriate messaging. SL CAER functions as a centralized bridge to industrial and government website information.
2024
Effective January 1, 2024, CAER becomes BASES Emergency Preparedness under the rebranded entity, BASES (Bluewater Association for Safety, Environment, and Sustainability). In this new chapter, BASES Emergency Preparedness will continue to foster collaboration between industry and municipalities to enhance emergency planning, response, and community engagement to ensure the safety and preparedness of the community.

BASES Emergency Preparedness Committee

The BASES Emergency Preparedness Committee includes senior technical leaders with specialization in emergency preparedness from regional operating sites and local governments. The Committee meets regularly to develop proposals for new regional initiatives for Board review. The members work together to select subject matter experts to support project teams to develop and implement projects at the discretion of the BASES Board. 

Beneath the umbrella of the BASES Emergency Preparedness Committee, various subcommittees and working groups operate, including, but not limited to, the BASES Emergency Preparedness Fire Subcommittee, BASES Emergency Preparedness Pipeline Subcommittee, and BASES Emergency Preparedness Traffic Subcommittee.

BASES Communications Committee

The BASES Emergency Preparedness Committee includes senior technical leaders with specialization in communications and engagement from the regional operating sites. The Committee meets regularly to develop proposals for new regional initiatives for Board review. The members work together to select subject matter experts to support project teams to develop and implement projects at the discretion of the BASES Board.