As we continue our work in ensuring safety and preparedness in dangerous goods emergency management, I want to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributes to our organization’s success. To our incredible staff and contractors, thank you for your unwavering dedication and expertise. Your efforts are the backbone of Emergency Response Assistance Canada (ERAC) and your commitment ensures that our systems for emergency response and management remain among the most successful in the industry.

ERAC is proud to serve over 300 Plan members and our leadership in managing Class 2 and Class 3 dangerous goods is a testament to the professionalism, collaboration and excellence of our team. From our administrators, who maintain the seamless flow of operations, to our emergency response professionals, who train and assess our responders and safeguard public safety, every contribution you make is crucial. Together, we advance safety and preparedness, providing essential support to response teams, first responders and communities alike.

I am pleased to share that ERAC’s Operations team and technical advisors, in collaboration with our response organizations, have successfully completed 14 regional training and assessments (Regionals) to date. Looking ahead, an additional 25 Regionals are scheduled over the coming months, further strengthening our preparedness and response capabilities. This achievement underscores the collective effort and dedication of all stakeholders - response teams, response team leaders, technical advisors, and our Plan members, whose unwavering support ensures effective emergency response within Canada.

Here at ERAC, we continue to look for new innovative ways to deliver training, write clear, concise, usable emergency plans, and employ technology to improve safety and quality. We are only able to accomplish this through the valuable commitment of our small team of ERAC employees and the large contribution our responders and Plan members give to us.

As we embrace the summer months, I want to take a moment to wish everyone a safe and happy summer. Please take time to recharge, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy the warmer days ahead. Your well-being is essential to sustaining the outstanding work we do together.  

Thank you once again for being part of this incredible journey. Together, we are shaping a safer, stronger future.

Warm regards,

Spencer Buckland
President

ERAC is pleased to welcome Marc-Olivier Boudreau as our new Technical Advisor – Quebec and the Maritimes. Marco brings 15 years of team leadership, emergency response and regulatory experience to ERAC. Welcome to the team Marco!

As we welcome Marco, we wish to extend our sincere gratitude to GIS Specialist Vince Zafra, who has left ERAC to join the City of Calgary. ERAC thanks Vince for the significant contributions he’s made to our GIS capabilities and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.   

ERAC is pleased to announce that Ortec Group (Lévis, Quebec) has successfully passed their flammable liquids training and assessment and is now approved as an ERAC flammable liquids response team. Ortec’s successful assessment adds a second flammable liquids response team in Quebec to respond to incidents on behalf of ERAC’s Plan members in the province.

Additionally, we are pleased to report that GFL Saskatoon recently passed their liquified petroleum gas (LPG) regional training and assessment and is now trained and assessed to respond to both flammable liquids and LPG incidents in the region.

ERAC congratulates Ortec Group and GFL Saskatoon and welcomes the teams to our cross-country emergency response network. 

ERAC has developed the ERAP Readiness and Review Program, a robust resource for Plan members to determine their organization’s level of readiness in response to an emergency response assistance plan (ERAP) activation. This valuable web-based tool can be accessed at any time and covers topics that include:

What are my responsibilities as the ERAP holder?

Who do I call in the event of an ERAP activation?

What are ERAC’s responsibilities during an ERAP activation?

The ERAP Readiness and Review program is designed to:

1. Improve your operational response readiness and highlight the importance of ERAPs, including the roles, capabilities and responsibilities of your organization and ERAC.

2. Determine your organization’s readiness through the ERAP Readiness and Review Self-Assessment questionnaire.

3. Offer tailored ERAP awareness training with ERAC, if requested.

The ERAP Readiness and Review Program presentation can help you learn more about your ERAP, your responsibilities as the ERAP holder, and ERAC.

Should you have questions or would like more information on the Plan Participant ERAP Readiness and Review program, please visit our website.

Free Online Training Opportunities 

Did you know that Canadian-based first responders (firefighters, police, EMS) can take our Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Firefighting Awareness Online training and/or ICS 100 and 200 courses free of charge? These courses will be valuable to any first responder who may be involved in a response to an LPG or flammable liquids emergency.

You can find more information on our LPG Firefighting Awareness Online course here.

Information on our ICS courses is available here.