Tuesday 1 June 1999

Army unveils new ops centre

By Bob Gilmour, Journal Staff Writer THE EDMONTON JOURNAL

The Canadian army has set up a new and improved 24-hour operational nerve centre to handle domestic crises in the West.

The centre, designed to direct such military operations as the 1997 Manitoba floods and last year's Alberta forest fires, sits in the old school housing Western Canadian army headquarters at Griesbach Barracks.

Although it was set up to handle potential Y2K bug problems across Western Canada at the turn of the millennium, the larger facility will provide permanent military help in the event of provincial emergencies.

Monday was the first day western army headquarters ran a major operation out of the new centre as it began a week-long exercise to test communications, command and control scenarios for worst-case Y2K disruptions.

"It's designed to test this headquarters' ability to process information, make decisions and issue orders concerning operations associated with potential impact of Y2K problems," said Maj. John Slater, senior operations officer for the army in the West. "But we don't expect serious problems from Y2K."

Slater noted that in such recent emergencies as the central Canadian ice storm and Manitoba floods, provinces sought federal help.

There are four tables in the nerve centre, each holding a large map of a western province around which staff can gather. The centre works with a liaison staff in the capital of each of the four western provinces.

The operations centre can accommodate about 40 military personnel, including medical, engineering, logistics, law and policing personnel. Bringing them all together in one area, says Slater, means they can exchange information quickly and save valuable time in an emergency. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Lee (lplapin@hotmail.com), June 02, 1999

Answers

Thanks Lee!

Even though the military feels that disruptions are less than expected they have at least taken the measures to be prepared.

-- Brian (imager@home.com), June 02, 1999.

Is it my imagination, or is this becoming a common theme: "Well, we REALLY don't think that Y2K will be all that bad, but we are ramping up like crazy to prepare for it like it is." Yeah, I know, hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst, but it is somewhat unusual to see the people-in-charge actually doing that. Out of character, somehow. Leads one to perhaps wonder if the worst-case is the EXPECTED case....

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), June 02, 1999.

Thanks, Lee. The more I hear, the better I feel about being in the Edmonton area. (I'd still rather be rural, *sigh*)

-- Tricia the Canuck (tricia_canuck@hotmail.com), June 03, 1999.

eh, dem Canadians er such doomers : )

I wonder if they'll block off the borders come the turn? I would.

Mike ==================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mt4design@aol.com), June 03, 1999.

well, i'm from western canada, now living in indiana close to the michigan border. it sounds like they are doing the right thing out west. so far i'm not too impressed with most state government efforts, but michigan is in the top 10 for state preparedness, so i feel somewhat better about this area.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), June 03, 1999.