Mock response to a catastrophic B.C. earthquake tests Alberta's emergency plans

For three days, the province is testing its emergency plansby pretending to respond to a massive earthquake in British Columbia.

It's part of an annual emergency management exercise involving representatives from all levels of government, industry, post-secondary institutions, social organizations and emergency management agencies.

• Boreal forest starting to bounce back from Fort McMurray wildfire

"The scenario this year is a massive earthquake in British Columbia and our focus is on the coordination that's needed to effectively support B.C," said Municipal Affairs Minister Shaye Anderson.

Anderson said the scenario was chosen because both the federal and provincial government in B.C. are reviewing their plans for an earthquake response.

"It's all about the processes and coordination and working together, so regardless of what type of disaster it is, a lot of the steps are going to be very similar," he said.

'Large, complex equation'

Scott Long, executive director operations at the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, said last year's exercise simulating an ice storm helped the province deal with the challenges of responding to the Fort McMurray wildfire last May.

"It doesn't really matter what the scenario is, it's the processes to get there that make us better at what we do," he said.

Officials from B.C. are involved in the exercise this year.

"We've got everybody who's got a piece in this rather large, complex equation here to inform our decision making and to make us better and to make the whole team better," Long said.

The exercise began Wednesday and wraps up Friday. The province has held such simulationssince 2001, to practise plans, improve responses, and better prepare for future disasters.

Anderson also encouraged all Albertans to plan ahead for emergencies, by preparing a 72-hour emergency kitand signing up for Alberta emergency alerts.

• MORE ALBERTANEWS |Medicine Hat mumps outbreak prompts province-wide alert
• MORE ALBERTANEWS |Meet the Blood Tribe member who's the first Indigenous president of Harvard's legal aid program