Alberta Urban Rescue

Original Air Date: Thursday, July 05, 2012

The recent mall collapse in Elliot Lake, Ontario required the efforts of Toronto’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team. It is one of five national response teams, including a group in Calgary, set to lose funding next year in the wake of federal budget cuts.

Critics fear this could cripple our national disaster response capabilities, downloading significant responsibility on provinces and municipalities. The federal government maintains emergency response is, in fact, a provincial mandate.

How much of a funding shortfall will Alberta face - and how will it impact disaster response in our province?

Joining us for this discussion is Tom Sampson, Deputy Chief of Calgary's Emergency Management Agency and Responsible for Canada Task Force 2, Alberta's Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team; and Sean Tracey, Canadian Regional Director of the National Fire Protection Association. He also chairs the Board of Directors for the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness.