Madam Chair, maybe I’ll rephrase my question because the question was real time. What I mean by real time are numbers, contact, policy charts, flow charts, contact of emergency services, basically an org chart of disaster management available in a database that is continuously updated or the department or community governments have access to, so that it doesn’t matter which community at any given time, this information can be pulled up off either computer, off Internet, security database. Is the department at this level of having this type of access to information? Thank you.

Madam Chair, we don’t have that right now, but again, I will commit to the Members that we will work with our community governments and we will try to get all of this information updated. If there’s a database that we can put this into where it constantly changes once there are changes at the community level, then I will commit to having our department do that. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, is there any type of study or working group on this so-called preparedness of a real-time database?

No, there is not, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, I don’t want it to sound like a hypothetical question, but it’s almost impossible for me to ask this question without being hypothetical. In the event of a disaster or emergency services intervention, how do our federal counterparts, our federal partners for emergency management, how are they notified? By what means are they notified if not available through electronic real-time management? Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Williams.

Thank you, Mr. Williams. Mr. Dolynny.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m still not getting enough level of comfort knowing that we do not have a formalized system of communication with our federal counterpart. Running across the street isn’t, in my mind, the most effective way of dealing with a natural disaster should it occur in our communities.

Given this information, is there any opportunity that the department sees this as being an opportunity to enhance the current so-called lack of model that we have and will this become a priority for this department in this fiscal year? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Madam Chair. As far as formalized communication plans go, I mean, I committed to the Member before that we’ll undertake the work in trying to provide a database and putting one together. We will update the Members regularly on the work that we’re doing, that way they have some comfort and we’ll even provide them with a lot of information that we get from the communities as far as contact numbers go. But I have to say that our communities, especially those that have had to deal with emergencies before, do a fantastic job reacting

to emergencies, and they know who they’ve got to contact and they know who they have to work with. If this is information that the Member feels needs to get out territorial-wide, then I have committed to trying to provide all that information, compiling that information and possibly putting it into a database. Thank you.

Thank you. I won’t disagree with the Minister. I believe those communities that have put the effort and have had the potential financial background to put such emergency plans in place are probably well prepared for such emergencies. But in the Minister’s own words, not every community is at the same level and that’s my concern, is that we have a disparity of situations out there, we’ve got communities at risk, and if we’ve got communities at risk, we’ve got a territory at risk. If you’ve got a territory at risk, you’ve got a nation at risk. It’s a cascade effect in which I think it’s critically important that we put the proper plans and the proper standardization models in place so that the communication amongst communities, the communication with government is paramount and I don’t believe we’re quite there yet and I’m hoping that the department is listening loud and clear.

This is a priority, I believe, and I think that it’s a priority that’s not being given its full attention. I’ll leave it at that. The Minister has already commented on it. I won’t seek another comment and rebuttal, but my question related to this area has to do with the communication in the event of an emergency event or a disaster. Do we have proper communication protocols in all 33 communities? Thank you.

Yes, we do.

Thank you. Now, these communication protocols, I would assume, would involve contacting a cascade, a number or an algorithm of community support networks from territorial to federal and potentially government leaders. How is this communication protocol accessed? Is this something that is published? Thank you.

As far as being published publicly, no, it’s not, but I mean, I have committed to the Member and he talks about the importance of emergency plans, and we recognize the importance of emergency plans. MACA has been having to deal with these for so many years. We’re working with the 15 communities that need to update their plans. We’re working with them to try and get their emergency plans updated. I have committed to trying to compile as much information as possible, finding somewhere we can put it so that everyone has access it, and I will honour that commitment. If the Member is looking for more and more detail, then we’d be pleased to put together a briefing and provide it to the Member so he knows exactly the work that we will be undertaking.

I will take the Minister up on his offer. I think I’m speaking not only as a Member of Yellowknife, I think there are community members here who would have very similar concerns. I would take the Minister up on his offer.

Last is, because we’re dealing with public safety, there is the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program. This was a federally initiated program, which I believe closed this year. I don’t believe it’s part of our budget this year. I think it was a zero. This was a cost-sharing program for capital enhancement at community level for safety.

Can the Minister indicate, for the years that we had access to this preparedness program, what was the level of uptake by this government in the various years?

Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Ms. Young.

Thank you, Ms. Young. Mr. Dolynny, your time has expired. I can put you on the list again if you like, but I’m going to go next to Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to ask a few questions about public safety with respect to the safety of our buildings. I’d like to start by just asking, with regard to the Fire Prevention Act, a review of plans and inspections that are done, those are strictly, as I understand it, related to Fire Safety Regulations. Am I correct in that assertion?

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member is correct.

Do we have a fire – oh, I forget the name – officer representative in every community, if the Minister knows what I’m asking.

We have the fire marshal and the assistant fire marshals that cover each region.