Image


The area the exercise focused on was on both sides of the border between Sarles, ND (B) and Pembina, ND (A). Image courtesy Google Maps

About sixty emergency response agencies participated in a cross border exercise last Thursday, including the Southern Emergency Response Committee. SERC Emergency Coordinator Chris Kalansky tells us the U.S. Border Services hosted event took place at the new Walhalla port of entry, and included reps from Manitoba and North Dakota.

The event included members of approximately two dozen fire departments on both sides of the border, several Police and Sheriff’s Agencies, Canada and U.S. Customs, several area Emergency Managers, Border Patrol, Paramedics, Civil Air Search, and Provincial and State Emergency officials.

Emergency Responders were presented with a ground search and rescue scenario that covered the Manitoba/North Dakota border areas from Sarles, ND to Pembina, ND.  Responders worked through the exercise, planning how to coordinate an international search and rescue effort. Throughout the day several additional events were presented to the group, causing them to address different man-made and natural hazards.  

Kalansky says the training scenario was the first time most of the responders had worked together as a group, and it gave everyone a better appreciation of their neighbours’ capabilities and resources.



"There were several area emergency managers that were represented there from the different counties in the United States, as well as several emergency coordinators from our side of the border," says Kalansky. "Our job was to plan out the emergency response, and to assist the responders on the ground."

"The biggest bonus from my point of view is we had a whole bunch of different emergency responders being able to talk to each other, meet each other, and work through the scenario together."