About the OAEM
The Ontario Association of Emergency
Managers (OAEM) - formerly known as the Canadian
Emergency Preparedness Association - Ontario Chapter - is a volunteer-run
not-for-profit organization of dedicated professionals who represent all aspects
of Emergency Management - prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and
recovery.
Our Mission is, "to promote, support and
enhance the profession of emergency management in Ontario." Our
Vision, "to become the organization that shapes the emergency
management practice in Ontario." And our Goals, "to encourage
the growth and expansion of the Association; to continue improving the level of
service offered to our members; and to foster a greater recognition of the field
of emergency management as a profession."
The OAEM is comprised of dedicated
professionals whose main purpose is to promote emergency management and who
generously volunteer their time in order to further the interests of all those
who are involved in the components of emergency management - prevention,
mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It brings together emergency
managers and disaster response professionals, from across the province and all
levels, to work together to provide, "the most effective and efficient emergency
preparedness schemes for the protection of life, health and safety of
individuals, and the protection of property and the environment in
Ontario."
Our Members are drawn from all levels of the
public and private sector. Including federal, provincial, and regional
government; numerous municipalities; public health care facilities and
hospitals; police, fire, and emergency medical services; industry and business;
transportation agencies; emergency management organizations; consultants;
universities, schools, and training centres; and volunteer agencies.
Our members principal areas of interest
include information exchange (to foster discussion and dissemination of
information in areas of interest to the members); training (to facilitate
and encourage training and professional development; standards (to foster
a process which will lead to the development and adoption of professional
standards or models with international recognition); and professional
accreditation (to establish a process for the certification of professional
emergency managers).
Benefits of Membership include: information
exchange; access to educational and professional development resources;
networking opportunities; participation in development of educational programs,
certification process, professional practices and standards; electronic OAEM
eNewsletter; OAEM Professional Development Workshops; and lots of other
opportunities in the works.
For more information, bookmark our website www.oaem.ca
and
check back regularly for updates.
Excerpt from Summer 2003 OAEM eNewsletter
The History of OAEM
A while ago, OAEM eNewsletter noticed that there wasn't
a history of our organization readily available on our website, for anyone
interested in becoming a new member or who wasn't familiar with how our
organization evolved. Then immediate Past President Marg Verbeek agreed to take
on the challenge and supply a synopsis for us. The following is the result.
Our History: The Evolution of the Ontario Association of
Emergency Managers
By Marg Verbeek, CEM, MCIP, Manager of Emergency Measures, Regional
Municipality of Waterloo, and Past President of OAEM and
IAEM (International Association of Emergency Managers)
Early Beginnings
Since the mid-1990s, emergency management practitioners began
meeting to discuss the formation of an Emergency Management Association in
Ontario. By the late 1990s, along came Emergency Preparedness Canada (EPC, now
PSEPC) looking for emergency management "champions" within the country to
establish a federation of emergency management organizations. In 1999, during
Emergency Preparedness Week, the Canadian Emergency Preparedness
Association (CEPA)-Ontario was launched. At the same time, eight other Regions
of CEPA were established across Canada, each to have its own Bylaw.
On November 5, 1999 CEPA-Ontario held its inaugural meeting and
established an incorporating Board of Directors: President, Marg Verbeek,
Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness; Vice-President, Warren Leonard,
Toronto Police Service; Secretary, John Newton, John Newton Associates;
Treasurer, Sue Law, GTAA; and Directors, Steve Beatty, Emergency Measures
Ontario; Rod Delaney, Delaney Emergency Preparedness; Maureen Griffiths,
Emergency Measures Ontario; Brian Hook, Region of York; Malcolm Scott, Emergency
Management Solutions.
At this time, CEPA-Ontario established a Training &
Education Committee, a Membership Committee, a Bylaw & Incorporation
Committee, and a Certification Committee. Minutes from the inaugural meeting
indicated that we had 63 members, a start-up grant of $1,000 from EPC, and
membership dues totaling $1,800. A national CEPA website was developed, of which
CEPA-Ontario needed to establish its own page on the site, and the EPC
Digest was to be the catalyst of information sharing for practitioners.
CEPA-Ontario embarked on preparing a Strategic Plan, communicating to members,
preparing segments for the Digest, outlining committee plans, and
developing a membership base. From our initial membership survey, we were aware
that members joined primarily for two reasons: networking and professional
certification.
The Executive Secretary of CEPA-Canada (Andre Lamalice of EMC)
advised that Atlantic Canada had 19 members, Quebec had 10, Manitoba had 19,
Alberta, BC and Northern Chapters were N/A, and the National Region Chapter had
23 members.
CEPA-Ontario Evolves
By early 2001 CEPA-Ontario's Constitution & Bylaws were
distributed to the membership, incorporation was underway, the strategic plan
was developed, and our organization participated on the National Certification
Committee (NCC). The membership was up to 80 members!
CEPA-Ontario hosted its first Annual General Membership meeting
(AGM) on May 9, 2001 at the York Region Administrative Headquarters in
Newmarket. In addition to members of the Board, fifteen members were present.
The AGM included the Annual Election of Directors, the approval of the
Constitution & Bylaws, and the motions regarding the NCC.
And Then Dissention with CEPA-Canada Erupts over the Certification Program!
During the 1st AGM in 2001, the Chair of the
Certification Committee advised that CEPA-Ontario was not satisfied that the
process outlined for the establishment of the NCC to work on the certification
options was followed and thus cannot support the process being proposed by the
Atlantic Chapter Working Group to CEPA-Canada. Atlantic Chapter decided they
would be the catalyst to act independently from the NCC. CEPA-Ontario recognized
that the process developed by the Atlantic Chapter was not consultative, and
further concluded that (a) due process was not followed to operate the NCC, (b)
serious consideration was not given to the options, (c) there were flaws in the
proposed certification model, (d) the process and proposal was biased towards a
single outcome from the beginning, and (e) CEPA-Ontario concerns were well
documented over an 18 month period, and were only partially addressed by the
proposed process.
Two motions were then unanimously passed; that CEPA-Canada be
asked to postpone any vote on the Atlantic Chapter motions pending a review and
report by a NCC; and that CEPA-Canada focus its first priorities to be
membership and communication, and secondly certification.
Following our AGM and subsequent meeting of the CEPA-Canada
Board, I then send a letter to the President of CEPA-Canada and its Board
advising of our motions, and removed CEPA-Ontario from the NCC. Our Association
found it quite disturbing that CEPA-Canada has not as yet ratified its own bylaw
for its existence since it was created several years earlier, yet made
certification its only priority.
CEPA-Ontario Becomes OAEM at 2003 AGM
At the 2003 AGM, the following motions were put to the
membership:
1. Relationship of CEPA-Canada and CEPA-Ontario
Whereas CEPA-Ontario is independently incorporated in the
Province of Ontario as a non-profit non-charity organization with governing
bylaws duly approved by the membership at an Annual General Meeting, be it moved
that the CEPA-Ontario Board is directed to cease further participation in
CEPA-Canada as of this day and direct their full energies to the management of
CEPA-Ontario and the provision of services to its members.
2. Change the Name of CEPA-Ontario
Whereas the CEPA-Ontario membership has directed the Board to
cease participation in CEPA-Canada, be it moved that CEPA-Ontario henceforth be
known as The Ontario Association of Emergency Managers (OAEM) and that the Board
be directed to undertake the necessary arrangements to revise all reference to
CEPA-Ontario in the bylaws, financial records, incorporation documents, and any
other documents or places, which directly or indirectly refer to CEPA-Ontario,
without changing the intent or purpose of any of the phrases, statements or
documents so revised.
Both motions were passed unanimously. Despite several years of
hard work and much effort to participate as part of CEPA-Canada and establish
one national parent Emergency Management Professional Association, it became
obvious that the values, objectives, and tactics of CEPA-Canada were in conflict
with our Association.
As much as it was disappointing to move away, our Association
recognized that it needed to focus on the development and enhancement of
activities and programs for our members, and not spend its energy in national
debates. OAEM expressed that it wanted to align itself with the International
Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and their Certified Emergency Manager®
(CEM) credential, with a goal of envisioning a CEM Canadian exam and CEM
Commission in Canada. Preliminary meetings were undertaken between IAEM and
OAEM (currently on hold), and possible future areas of collaboration for
membership and certification may evolve.
OAEM's Prosperity Continues
By February 2005, our membership had grown to 220 members
