EM Spotlight Series
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT SERIES WEBINARS
EVENT CALENDAR 2025
ABOUT: OAEM’s flagship webinar series is an educational forum dedicated to information sharing and collaboration for Ontario’s diverse emergency management and business continuity community. The series is provided free of charge for OAEM Members and $25.00 for non members. Each session requires participants to register. Events take place approximately once a month via ZOOM from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Webinar events are professionally hosted and moderated by Angelique Lazarus, Effortless Education. If you have a topic that you would like us to feature, please contact Oliver Moloney, Director Continuing Professional Development at prodevt@oaem.ca
Date | Guest Speaker(s)/Panel | Presentation Topic | Registration |
| Nov. 12 2025 | Rahul Singh Founder and Executive Director GlobalMedic | GlobalMedic, the assembly of emergency professionals and dedicated volunteers (RRT), innovation in the humanitarian sector and the impact of modernizing legislation in helping people impacted by disasters. The Right Aid, to the Right People, at the Right Time. | Pending |
Oct. 15, 2025 (TBC) | Diana Danila, Geographic Information System (GIS) Analyst, Information Technology City of Guelph | Learn about the City of Guelph’s Emergency Management Program and GIS application within its Emergency Operations Centre to enhance emergency response capabilities – serving as a centralized system for accessing and visualizing information relevant to emergency management, aiding in decision-making and resource allocation. | Pending |
Sept. 17, 2025 (TBC) | Stephanie Couturier Divisional Director of Emergency Disaster Services - Ontario Division | Learn about the Salvation Army’s mission and the role of the Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) personnel in responding to crisis and incidents, providing essential direct interventions such as food, shelter, clothing and hydration, as well as meeting longer-term community needs; preparing for and responding to emergencies across the province - enhancing collaboration between all levels of government and community-based partners. | Pending |
Aug. 18 2025 | Vicki Gruber, Director, Safety & Security Harbour Master HOPA Ports | Learn about harbour operations, port security and emergency management at the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA), a day in the life of a Harbour Master and the recent HOPA Annual Port Security Exercise. | Pending |
June 18 2025 | Amy Bryant, EM and Security Coordinator Ministry of Northern Economic Development and Growth Ministry of Energy and Mines | Learn about abandoned mines and mine hazards in Ontario and the ministry's new public education program launch. | Completed |
May 26 2025 | Orest Sushko, Director Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab, Humber Polytechnic | Learn about Humber Polytechnic Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab and the Advancing Public Safety: Emergency Management Community Symposium (June 6, 2025) | Completed |
May 8 2025 | CSA Group Candace Sellar, Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Erich Hidebrandt, Project Manager Worker and Public Safety | Learn about the CSA Group including an overview of the work in the public sector space. This session will feature the CSA Z1600 Emergency and continuity management program standard, the 3rd edition as well as an introduction to the recently launched 4th edition of the standard. Join us and participate/contribute in the discussion! | Completed |
Apr. 14 2025 | Jason Williams, Director of Protective Services/Fire Chief Municipality of Port Hope | Learn about the Municipality of Port Hope’s Municipal Rail Safety Plan, Evacuation and Transportation Plan and continuity of operations protocols as part of the municipality’s comprehensive Emergency Response Plan and key program elements. | Completed |
Apr. 10 2025 | Dr. David Sills, Director Northern Tornadoes Project, CSSL | Learn about the Canadian Severe Storms Laboratory (CSSL) at Western University; a new research center that will transform understanding of damaging winds, hail, and flash floods in Canada. | Completed |
Jan. 15 2025 | Steve Murphy, Manager Preparedness, 911 and Corporate Projects, County of Dufferin | Learn about Dufferin County municipalities Emergency Support Service (ESS) trailers and volunteers, the first of their kind in Ontario at a regional level, and their deployment during local emergency and disaster situations. | Completed |
Jan. 14 2025 | Lisa Priest, Assistant Deputy Minister, Preparedness, Programs and Planning, Emergency Management, TBS Nina Diaz, Director, Emergency Management Programs and Partnerships TBS | This session will provide an overview of Ontario Corps, a new volunteer emergency response team for Ontario natural disasters and emergencies. Learn about Ontario Corps, and their role in providing ground assistance, including emergency shelter, debris management and flood protection. The new Ontario Corps volunteer organization, a group of partners and people that the government can call to help communities hit hard by emergencies and natural disasters, would supplement communities’ emergency response amid natural disasters and other crises. Complimentary registration for OAEM members and guests! | Completed |
Dec. 18 2024 | Matthew Ducker, Canadian Coast Guard Team Leader, Exercise Planning, Exercise and Preparedness, Incident Management Directorate | Learn about the Canadian Coast Guards’ mandate, programs, services and resources, including international partnerships and cross-border agreements through a national and regional lens. | Completed |
Nov. 20 2024 | Donald J. Kembel, Operations Manager EM Response Unit HazMat – CBRNE – USAR - Fire Investigation Services OFM and Jordan Froese, Program Specialist ER Unit | Learn about Ontario's Heavy Urban Search and Rescue unit capable of responding to disaster situations at a city, provincial and national levels and the roles and responsibilities of this specialized unit. | Completed |
Oct. 16 2024 | Scott Croome, Director Dangerous Goods Rail Association of Canada (RAC) | Learn about the Rail Association of Canada and the railways that transport millions of passengers and goods each year. This session will provide an overview of the RAC's Safety Culture, highly specialized and committed railroaders and the RAC’s Dangerous Goods Team including the TRANSCAER initiative and Operation Lifesaver. | Completed |
Aug 21 2024 | Mary La Chapelle, Acting Deputy Director Durham Emergency Management (DEM) office Michael Munro, Acting Director, Nuclear Radiological and Scientific Response Programs, Emergency Management Ontario, Treasury Board Secretariat (OPS) | An overview of Durham's Nuclear Emergency Response Plan. Learn about preparedness, planning considerations and public alerting including how Durham Region coordinates and collaborates with various government agencies, municipalities, Indigenous partners and community stakeholders. An overview of the Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan (PNERP) - plans, programs and exercises. Learn about public safety during nuclear emergencies including Ontario’s off-site responsibilities in the preparedness for, response to, and recovery from nuclear or radiological incidents. | Completed |
July 17 2024 | Randy Yeboah, MDEM, CBCP, PMP Director, Business Continuity & Resilience Toronto Transit Commission | An overview of the Toronto Transit Commission's Business Continuity Program; learn about the TTC's efforts to implement a comprehensive business continuity program. This session will address the key components of an effective program, collaboration with other resilience areas, and implementation challenges and strategies. | Completed |
Jun 19 2024 | John 'Jack' Lindsay, Associate Professor Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies Brandon University | Where to Now? Federal EM legislation post COVID and Convoy. Perspectives as to ‘Why Canada needs to dramatically update how it prepares for and manages emergencies’, the need to review the existing Emergencies Act and how emergency management needs to be integrated into decision-making by all levels of government and communities to be effective. | Completed |
May 15 2024 | Thomas Rolfe, Emergency Response Coordinator Northern Remote Airports Ministry of Transportation (Thunder Bay) | Learn about MTO's northern remote airports and their vital transportation link to Indigenous communities and essential services. | Completed |
Mar 20 2024 | Jennifer Moreton, President Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Canada and Deputy Chief Andrea DeJong, St. Catharines Fire & Emergency Services | Learn about APCO Canada's mission and involvement with Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911) and how the City of St. Catharines is leading the way for local area municipalities as the new Next Generation 911 emergency call-handling system is launched | Completed |
Feb 14 2024 | Danie Glanc, Farm Policy Analyst Ontario Federation of Agriculture | Emergency preparedness for farm animals | Completed |
Jan 17 2024 | Roderick Peters, Municipal Programs and Outreach Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing | An overview of the Municipal Recovery Assistance Program and Guidelines | Completed |