Understanding Industrial Emergency Response in Sarnia-Lambton
In Sarnia-Lambton, industrial emergency response is a collaborative effort that ensures public safety and environmental protections are top priorities. There are two types of notification systems community members may be familiar with. Public notifications through the Sarnia-Lambton Alerts system are intended to advise the general public of an issue while the Regional Industrial Codes system is used internally by emergency responders. The following is a breakdown of how the different types of notifications are structured to meet the needs of two very different audiences.
Regional Industrial Codes
Area residents have likely heard terms like Code 8 or Code 10 before, but what exactly are these codes used for? The Regional Industrial Codes system was developed to allow industry to share information with municipal and emergency response teams, and BASES industrial members. The codes help responders assess an incident and determine if additional resources or support is needed.
This system is not mandatory, and it’s used only by BASES members; however, it remains an efficient tool for improving response capabilities and adhering to regulatory requirements. The emergency responders that use this code system meet regularly to review incidents, plan emergency response training, and share learnings. This type of ongoing collaboration and relationship-building is essential to a strong response structure. As former Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER) member George Hatfield once said, “there’s an old saying in emergency response, make your friends before you need them”.
The Regional Industrial Codes are not intended for the general public. Instead, a system called Sarnia-Lambton Alerts provides the broader community with plain language information.
Sarnia-Lambton Alerts
Sarnia-Lambton Alerts is a mass public notification system used by local municipalities and BASES industrial members to share information with the community for both non-emergency and emergency events.
This free subscription-based service allows subscribers to customize the types of notifications they want to receive and the method by which they’re received (i.e. email, mobile app, text, phone). In the event of a wide-spread emergency requiring public action – such as a drinking water emergency or a shelter-in-place/evacuation advisory – a priority alert would be sent to subscribers by the local municipality* with detailed information and instructions.
To make sure they receive this information, community members can sign up for Sarnia-Lambton Alerts by visiting www.sarnialambtonalerts.ca or downloading the Everbridge app to a mobile device.
BASES industrial members are committed to maintaining transparency and trust with the community. By understanding the difference between internal Regional Industrial Codes and Sarnia-Lambton Alerts public notifications, residents can better understand how emergencies are managed while staying informed with accurate and timely updates.
*Sarnia-Lambton Alerts is currently used by the City of Sarnia and is expected to expand to other surrounding municipalities in the future. For more information on receiving emergency alerts outside the City of Sarnia, please contact your local municipality.