Earlier today Londoners may have noticed several emergency personnel and vehicles in and around Labatt Brewery, Harris Park and Carfrae Park. The City of London, London Police, London Fire, Middlesex-London Paramedic Service and Labatt Brewery successfully completed an ammonia leak emergency field exercise this afternoon to test and improve on the City’s emergency planning in the areas of preparedness, response and recovery.
As part of the exercise, the Labatt Emergency Notification Siren sounded to replicate a liquid ammonia leak at the Labatt Brewery. Following the siren, emergency first responders were deployed to the exercise scene to provide a timely and cohesive response that ensured the safety of all Londoners. The London Fire Department’s Hazmat Team and Labatt Brewery’s Hazmat Team were both deployed during the exercise.
This exercise was successfully completed around 12 p.m. today. Harris Park and Carfrae Park have been reopened to the public.
“This exercise was an exciting and challenging opportunity for the City and its community partners. This type of training embodies the City’s commitment to public safety and to working with local partners in planning a response to any type of emergency,” says Dave O’Brien, Director of Security and Emergency Management at the City of London. “Thank you to all Londoners for your patience and support during this event. The exercise was a great success and a learning opportunity for all who participated.”
The objectives of this exercise included enhanced collaboration between the participating organizations and agencies; providing emergency preparedness awareness to the public; and strengthening emergency response plans, including the use of the Labatt Emergency Notification Siren, to improve on the City’s coordinated response to emergency incidents.
For information about the City’s emergency management program, or to learn more about preparing for emergencies, please visit london.ca/emergency.