Item - 2012.CC23.2

1.         City Council on May 8 and 9, 2012, adopted the recommendations contained in the Investigation Report (May 1, 2012) from the Ombudsman, headed “An Investigation into the Provision of Emergency Human Services following the 200 Wellesley Street Fire”.

Recommendations contained in the Ombudsman's Investigation Report:

"Taking into account all of the evidence gathered through this investigation, I make the following recommendations:

1.         That directives be established documenting the role of the Office of Emergency Management and the Emergency Planning Unit in emergencies.

2.         That the City Manager confirm the Incident Commander is the single point of decision-making authority for emergency human services responses or provide an alternative.

3.         That the City Manager ensure a senior manager is available to act as a liaison with elected officials during emergencies.

4.         That a protocol be established for future emergencies regarding inter-divisional communications for staff responders.

5.         That a single system of record keeping be established to transmit key information between shifts and that this be done in accordance with the City Clerk's "Responsible Record-Keeping Directive" of August 22, 2011.

6.         That the Emergency Planning Unit develop a Policies and Procedures Manual, and appropriate information for divisional responders.

7.         That the Vulnerable Populations Protocol be finalized in consultation with relevant expertise such as the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.

8.         That recommendations 1-7 be completed no later than December 1, 2012.

9.         That the City Manager establish partnerships with external agencies to handle in-kind donations for future emergencies.

10.       That the City Manager ensure all staff responders are aware of the City's Emergency Plan and are adequately trained in emergency human services.

11.       That recommendations 9 and 10 be completed no later than June 30, 2013.

12.       That evacuees displaced by emergencies be provided with timely and accurate information to the extent possible.

13.      That debriefs and lessons learned be done in a coordinated and timely manner.

14.       That the City Manager ensure senior public servants respond in a timely way to Ombudsman requests and hold them to the standards set out in his August 4, 2011 directive.

15.       That all draft protocols and documents referenced in recommendations 1 through 7 be provided to my office for review prior to finalizing them."

2.         City Council request the City Manager to report back to Council in the Fall of 2012 on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Investigation Report (May 1, 2012) from the Ombudsman.

3.         City Council request the City Manager to conduct a full review of the Emergency Human Services Policy and include in his report on the 200 Wellesley Street Fire, any recommendations for changes to the Policy based on this review.

4.         City Council authorize the City Manager to direct all Agencies and Corporations to comply with the City of Toronto Emergency Plan and Protocols; and further, in any emergency human response, the Incident Commander is the single point of decision-making authority pursuant to the 2010 Council Emergency Human Services Policy.

5.         City Council request the heads of all Agencies and Corporations to ensure that all requests for information from the Ombudsman are responded to within a reasonable time frame to support the Ombudsman's investigations.

6.         City Council request the Ombudsman to:

a.         review reports and evaluations from previous emergency human responses for Sunrise Propane, the Queen Street fire and Secord Avenue; and

b.         report back to Council on the degree of implementation of previous reports with appropriate recommendations.

7.         City Council request the Ombudsman to report back to Council on the status of implementation of the recommendations in the Investigation Report on the 200 Wellesley Street Fire at the first Council meeting following approval of the 2013 Operating Budget.

8.         City Council forward a copy of the Ombudsman's report to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board.