Emergency Preparedness

Our Executive Leadership Team have established policies that govern Pembina’s activities to meet our obligation to provide an effective emergency response in the event of an incident.

Pembina’s goals and objectives in emergency management are focused on Prevention, Planning, Response and Recovery.

Hazard areas define initial areas where Pembina focuses our response actions during an emergency. Pembina’s EMP hazard identification and emergency preparedness planning considers potential hazards or identified risks that may be a result of operating activities and external events. As part of our EMP, Pembina prepares and maintains detailed EM Plans designed to support our response to hazards specific to our regional operations.
 
The EMP hazard identification process involves assessing worst-case scenarios to determine an EPZ or hazard area. The hazard area is determined through regulatory/industry adopted references or mathematical modeling to identify potential consequences and hazard areas of impact for the purpose of emergency response planning.
 
Pembina is committed to responsible stewardship of the environment. In addition to spill response equipment locations that allow for an effective response, our equipment deployment strategies are also designed to consider how to best manage and expedite recovery of the spill and initiate remediation activities following a release. Pembina’s response strategy to a liquid spill or a gas release would focus on mitigation actions to limit the size, duration or extent of the hazard.
 
When remediation of an area is undertaken, Pembina works in conjunction with regulatory agencies to ensure that we meet regulatory requirements for soil, vegetation, water quality and wildlife. As part of this remediation process, reporting is made to regulatory agencies outlining progress and status, as required. 

As part of our EM Plan development and update activities, Pembina contacts residents and other stakeholders on an ongoing basis to:
 

• Gather current information to contact them in the event of an emergency and provide assistance as may be required and
• Share our Public Information Package, which provides emergency preparedness reference material for their area.

Pembina contacts local authorities and government agencies on an ongoing basis to update contact information that may be required during an emergency. During this consultation, Pembina requests additional information regarding communication requirements, resources, and capacity to assist with a coordinated response. First Responders are engaged directly or through the local authority.
 
Pembina’s EMPs facilitate consistent interaction with other responders during an event as our system is based on ICS.  This standardized approach is part of our preparation for a safe and effective response to emergency events and allows for Pembina to participate in Unified Command, fostering a coordinated response effort with outside agencies. 

Pembina undertakes continuing education for the public and First Responders adjacent to our operations as part of our commitment to responding safely and effectively to an emergency incident.

A component of Pembina’s First Responder engagement and continuing education is undertaken through our membership in the Canadian Energy Pipeline Association (CEPA). This includes CEPA’s broad engagement initiatives with First Responders to increase awareness and facilitate education for responding to emergency events associated with petroleum products.
 
Pembina supplements the CEPA continuing education initiatives with Pembina-specific and regional emergency preparedness reference materials. In addition, First Responder continuing education is provided through opportunities to participate in Pembina’s emergency response exercises. Pembina also engages with the public and First Responders through open houses and other public forums, allowing us to gather information for consideration in our emergency response planning.

In addition to our continuing education program, Pembina ensures that its staff are trained on their roles, responsibilities and procedures, as identified in our EMP. Pembina emergency exercises are conducted to train appropriate personnel. First Responders, government agencies and local authorities are invited to participate. Our training and exercise activities include:
 

• Requiring designated personnel who may respond to an emergency event complete ICS Canada incident command training. The level of ICS training required is dependent upon the role the individual may fulfil. Pembina requires its Incident Commanders and Command Staff to complete ICS 300 level training.
• Developing exercise scenarios based on our specific EMPs and identified hazards allowing different aspects of the plans to be tested through the exercise program cycle. Pembina conducts a variety of exercises each year ranging from drills, tabletop, functional and full-scale sessions in accordance with Canadian emergency preparedness standards and regulatory requirements.
• Pembina participates in Western Canadian Spill Services exercises, as part of our membership in this spill co-operative.

In the event of an incident, Pembina activates our EMP based on a standardized ICS. The ICS is a management system designed for an effective and efficient way of responding to an incident. Key components of incident command include:
 

• Consistent roles and responsibilities for responders inside and outside of Pembina;
• Common terminology and processes for effective communication;
• Defined Chain of Command for reporting;
• Unified Command allowing for common objectives and decision making between jurisdictional authorities;
• Organizational structure that is scalable to address the complexity of the response;
• Procedures to coordinate response activities with the applicable regulator(s), local authorities, First Responders, other government agencies, and support services, as required; and
• The establishment of Command Centres to support the coordination of response activities.

Local response to an emergency is carried out at the field level and managed through Pembina’s Incident Command Post. Pembina’s Corporate Emergency Operations Centre (CEOC) provides technical, logistical and public communications support through a wide range of Pembina expertise.