Recent weather challenges, paired with Facebook's parent company Meta banning news content in Canada, are prompting municipal officials in Chatham-Kent to reevaluate the way they communicate with the public during emergencies.
Councillor Marjorie Crew of Ward 6 brought up concerns related to communication, particularly in the context of weather events that might escalate into community-based emergencies.
In response, Fire Chief Chris Case acknowledged that the municipality's ability to declare an emergency has been at the forefront of recent discussions.
A key takeaway is that to declare an emergency in Chatham-Kent, there must be a significant threat to life or property.
"A threshold must be met before any such declaration is made. Recent weather events, like a Christmas snowstorm, serve as examples of when the Emergency Control Group (ECG) assesses the situation closely," said Chief Case.
Case added that municipalities, provinces, and conservation authorities frequently issue storm alerts and warnings, but Meta's decision to end news sharing on Facebook and Instagram has complicated the way those alerts get out to the public.
"The Chatham-Kent community is no stranger to emergencies," said Fire Chief Chris Case during Monday's Council meeting, "Under normal circumstances, the municipality would issue a press release, and local media outlets, especially on social media platforms like Facebook, would share the information. However, the recent dispute has disrupted this process, making communicating essential information during emergencies difficult".
In response to these challenges, Chatham-Kent officials are now reviewing their Emergency Management practices. They aim to improve communication strategies and make information more accessible to the community.
"The current Emergency Management plan, nearly a decade old, will undergo revision and updating to better align with the community's evolving needs," said Chief Case.
Chatham-Kent residents can expect to see changes and enhancements to emergency communication strategies in the near future, but no specific timeline was given at Monday night's meeting.