Minister Dunlop and Warden Clarke thank local emergency responders for their quick action during spring ice storm
Midhurst/October 20, 2025 – Last week, Minister Dunlop and Warden Clarke joined to kick off and welcome emergency responders from across Ontario to the County’s annual Simcoe Emergency Response Conference. Thanking emergency responders from across the province and Simcoe County, the two took a moment to acknowledge the incredible response locally and from supporting communities during the ice storm earlier this year.
Preparing for emergencies takes regional collaboration, planning, coordination and partnerships. In 2005, the County of Simcoe established a committee to proactively plan and bring together emergency managers and response personnel from local municipalities and partner organizations to coordinate emergency planning in the area.
The Simcoe Emergency Response Committee (SERC) has grown to include representatives from over 45 organizations including local municipalities, emergency services, volunteer organizations, hospitals, public health, education sector, conservation authorities and utilities.
Friday’s semi-annual meeting included presentations on flood risks, a showcase on the volunteers involved with Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue, mass fatality planning, and key lessons learned during Ottawa’s May 2022 derecho response.
With Simcoe County’s commitment to emergency management and public safety in mind, throughout 2025 the County has focused on training and preparing communities across the region to respond to a variety of possible emergencies that could occur. From large, complex county-wide simulations to targeted municipal tabletops, the County is ensuring that Emergency Management’s mission To Prepare, Protect and Provide for the Greater Good is upheld across the region.
This conference is the latest in a series of emergency management training held across the region this year, including simulations in Oro-Medonte, Orillia, and Alliston to test and improve response protocols, while training emergency responders in simulated real-world scenarios. In these scenarios held throughout 2025, emergency responders were asked to test their response protocols for a variety of simulations, including a mass casualty incident (“Festival Frenzy”) in June, a hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incident (“Plume Watch”) in September, and an emergency social services shelter operation (“Rink Side Refuge”) in October. These exercises were large-scale, involving multiple agencies from across the region.
In addition to large-scale exercises, the County has been proactively running crucial Local Area Municipality Training and Tabletop Exercises to ensure preparedness at the municipal level to reinforce local emergency plans across the region. These localized training sessions are being completed in several local communities throughout 2025, including:
- Adjala-Torsorontio
- Bradford West Gwillimbury
- Clearview
- Collingwood
- Essa
- New Tecumseth
- Penetanguishene
- Springwater
- Wasaga Beach
The County’s emergency management program helps create disaster-resilient communities that are ready to meet the challenges of emergencies that might arise across our region. With these exercises, the County continues to collaborate with municipalities, emergency responders, and partners from across the region to prepare, protect and provide for the greater good. For more information on emergency preparedness, visit simcoe.ca/BePrepared.
About the County of Simcoe
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
