Developing a research-specific emergency management programme for municipal resilience following the 2013 flood in southern Alberta

Abstract

Calgary was significantly impacted by the southern Alberta floods in 2013. Prior to the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires (also in Alberta), these floods were the costliest disaster in Canadian history. In the aftermath, the Conference Board of Canada’s independent review of the overall performance of Calgary’s Recovery Operations Centre (ROC) recommended the need to: (1) include community actors and external stakeholders; and (2) develop pre-event situational awareness for those citizens who lack the ability to request assistance through regular channels. In response to these findings and a seemingly consistent experience of emergencies and disasters, the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) sought to develop a comprehensive all-hazards emergency management programme for community leaders and citizens to further enhance municipal resilience when faced with inevitable future challenges. Using a case study approach, this paper presents the background, methodology and realisation of this programme, offers recommendations for challenges and limitations, and considers the key impetus for its development — the prevalent yet complex concept of resilience in disaster and emergency management.