Fleming College

At the Harwood Fish Culture Station south of Peterborough, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has undertaken an initiative replicated nowhere else in the world.“We are rearing several Atlantic salmon strains unique to our facility,” said Dave Rosborough, acting manager at Harwood. He added that to lose such an asset because of a natural disaster would be “tragic”. The Atlantic salmon are part of a program to restore the species to Lake Ontario.The students in the Emergency Management Program (EMP) at Fleming College have partnered with the MNR’s Corporate Emergency Management Program to enhance emergency plans at the Harwood Fish Culture Station. As part of the college’s Business Continuity Planning course, students assess threats and determine viable recovery strategies to ensure operations continue in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. To celebrate this partnership, dignitaries today gathered at the MNR offices at 300 Water St. in Peterborough. Guests included, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister David Lynch of the MNR and Paul Legacy, Dean of Fleming College’s School of Law, Justice and Community Services.“Programs such as this demonstrate how we can make significant progress in evolving this discipline to keep pace with many threats communities face,” said Mr. Bett. “The experience we provide, allows students a unique opportunity to interact with our staff and learn first-hand what it takes to be a successful emergency manager in today’s work environment.”“This partnership has provided students with the opportunity to apply the theory and professional practices in completing the planning process and creating a planning document for a client organization,” said Don Yarranton, the program’s Business Continuity instructor.“Due to the nature of Business Continuity Plans, businesses or jurisdictions are sometimes quite reluctant to share information for the purposes of creating case studies,” he said. “We are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with the Ministry of Natural Resources.”Business Continuity, also known as Continuity of Operations, is an ongoing process to ensure necessary steps are taken to identify the impacts of potential losses, maintain viable recovery strategies and plans and continuity of operations, explained Yarranton.Today’s event enabled the students to share their project plans with MNR staff. “We are interested in finding out what ‘an extra set of eyes’ looking at our operation from the outside will come up with,” said Rosborough.The students benefit from this partnership as well, said Mike Anderson, an Emergency Management student. He noted the opportunity has enabled him to apply the business continuity theory he has learned to a ‘real-world’ organization. “Working with the Ministry of Natural Resources has provided me with an appreciation for the complexities of preparing a Business Continuity Plan,” he said. The Emergency Management Program is a post-graduate program offered at Fleming’s Sutherland campus in Peterborough. Along with Business Continuity, students complete courses such as Project Management, Disaster Mitigation and Exercise Design. “With Fleming EMP participating in preparing documentation and research for the Ministry of Natural Resources, students experience an understanding of real life demands and expectations,” said Rod Manley, the program’s coordinator.The experience also enhances the employability of program graduates, said Yarranton.“This partnership will well position graduates of the program for future employment opportunities in the ever-expanding field of Emergency Management.”     – 30 -Laura Copeland, Communications Officer, 705-749-5530 ext. 1370 or copeland@flemingc.on.ca