WHITEHORSE, YT – With the flood risk diminished in the Klondike River watershed the Emergency Control Group in charge of the flood response for the Klondike Valley has been de-activated, and an After-Action Review has been initiated involving all agencies who played a part in the response.
As Per Dawson City’s Emergency Response Plan, an Emergency Control Group is formed whenever a public safety concern arises that warrants a local governmental response. This time around, the Emergency Control Group involved representatives from the Yukon Government, the City of Dawson, the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation, as well as first responders like the RCMP, local Search and Rescue, the Klondike Valley Fire Department, and service providers like Yukon Energy.
The findings of the After-Action Review found that recent updates to Dawson City’s Emergency Response Plan was beneficial to this year’s flood monitoring and flood mitigation response. Lessons learned during a joint table-top exercise simulating emergency scenarios in the Territory involving multiple levels of governments and external agencies were incorporated into the plan.
The Emergency Control Group says resource deployment during the incident was effective, but could be improved for future emergencies. They say advanced planning and the mobilization of resources before an incident occurs is essential to protect the community.
The review also found that collaboration and communication between all parties involved had improved over last year, utilizing lessons learned from the floods in 2023 in tandem with feedback from public input sessions on emergency planning that took place in the community. However the Emergency Control Group says there is still room for improvement with regards to inter-agency communication and on ensuring what’s communicated to the public is consistent and timely.
Also noted during the review was a strong willingness of the public to volunteer during times of crisis, something the ECG says should be utilized in the future by developing a more robust volunteer management plan, in addition to more public education all around on flood preparedness, and what property owners can do to mitigate risks on their property in advance of flood season.
