Emergency Management bracing for possible flood of evacuees
Posted May 5, 2016 7:29 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Calgary Emergency Management Agency says its ready to host people who were forced from their homes.
CEMA Director Tom Sampson says Suncor wants to fly 8,000 to 10,000 people out of sites north of Fort McMurray, but he’s not sure how many are coming to Calgary. He says it’s a wildcard situation, but they are preparing.
“We’ve got just about the capacity of a thousand people. If we were to push beyond that, I’ve talked to the president or vice-presidents of every one of those facilities and they’re doing great work and they’ve expressed their desire to assist us in any way,” said Sampson.
The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede is also prepared to host evacuees as well, if additional space is needed.
Calgary firefighters were deployed to Fort McMurray Wednesday night. Chief Steve Dongworth talked about their work so far.
“By 8 a.m. this morning they were on the ground and ready to be deployed. I have been told they’ve been actively involved in structural firefighting today, while I don’t have specific details at this time. And they are reporting poor air quality and very heavy smoke in the area,” he said.
Sampson said crews will be working a two-day rotation, and Calgary’s emergency service levels won’t be impacted.
