Lacombe Regional Emergency Management Partnership (LREMP) will be conducting a full-scale emergency management exercise on October 26, 2022 that will trigger a simulated evacuation for 10 communities. 

The scenario features a winter storm that cripples the 13 communities. Power outages and water systems failures will force the communities to activate their municipal emergency plan at their municipal office. Complications from the simulated three-day storm affect the citizens, students and municipal staff. 

Approximately 150 live evacuees will go to evacuation centres in Lacombe and Blackfalds including students from Wolf Creek Public Schools. However, 45-50 staff will be present to assist with the simulated evacuations.  

“This exercise is the result of a year of planning and coordination between 13 different municipalities, as well as Fortis Alberta and Wolf Creek Public Schools,” said Julian Veuger, LREMP Coordinator “You never know when or where a disaster will strike, and we want to ensure that our Central Alberta communities are safe and that each municipality is prepared if a crisis occurs.” 

The exercise will test our local and regional emergency response plans and will primarily be a trial run of an updated Regional Emergency Social Services (ESS) plan. By simulating a broad spread emergency across Lacombe County, resulting in multiple evacuations with all municipalities being affected.  

LREMP is made up of 13 separate municipalities, including Lacombe County, the City of Lacombe, Town of Blackfalds, Town of Eckville, Town of Bentley, Village of Clive, Village of Alix, Summer Village of Gull Lake, Summer Village of Birchcliff, Summer Village of Sunbreaker Cove, Summer Village of Half Moon Bay, Summer Village of Jarvis Bay, and the Summer Village of Norglenwold.