REMP Holds Annual Exercise
Today, the Lethbridge County Regional Emergency Management Partnership (REMP) hosted its first annual regional emergency preparedness “tabletop” exercise. The event brought together staff from the County, the Village of Barons, and the Towns of Coalhurst, Nobleford, and Picture Butte to simulate their coordinated response to a large-scale disaster affecting the region. The scenario, called “Southern Skyfall” was a damaging summer storm and tornado with a significant impact on life safety, property, and the environment.
The exercise was designed to help municipal staff work through the logistics of responding to a major emergency. Participants reviewed roles, made key decisions, and communicated across jurisdictions to coordinate their actions.
The exercise followed the Incident Command System (ICS) – a proven international standard for managing emergency situations. ICS helps ensure that roles are clear, resources are used efficiently, and agencies work together smoothly during a crisis.
“A critical part of keeping our communities safe is practicing how we’d respond when a major emergency does occur,” says Breea Tamminga, Regional Director of Emergency Management for the Partnership. “When we train together, we strengthen our ability to act quickly and collaboratively in the moments that matter most.”
In addition to this exercise, other notable achievements of the Partnership in 2025 include:
- Training municipal staff in different levels of ICS to ensure they are equipped to manage emergency incidents effectively. Over 50 training spots were filled this year.
- Completing the Regional Emergency Management Plan, which provides a framework for emergency and disaster management, ensuring response efforts are unified across partner municipalities and that resources and personnel can be quickly mobilized.
There are also several initiatives on the horizon that aim to enhance our disaster readiness:
- Council members in the Partnership will complete a 'Local Authority Elected Official' course next week to understand their roles and responsibilities in disaster management.
- Continuing to provide ICS training opportunities to municipal staff.
- Enhancing our Emergency Social Services response plans to best support residents affected by disasters.
- Building out our disaster mitigation plans.
- Community evacuation planning.
Background:
In November 2024, Lethbridge County, the Village of Barons and Towns of Coalhurst, Nobleford and Picture Butte signed on to a Regional Emergency Management Partnership to enhance collaborative disaster preparedness and response in the region.
This collaboration enhances how the region plans for and responds to major emergencies such as severe weather, industrial accidents, widespread power outages, and more. It’s important to note that the REMP does not replace local fire departments or everyday emergency services. Instead, it supports larger-scale coordination when emergencies impact multiple communities.