The Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Normand Laberge has released a list of 14 recommendations. Laberge was working atop a shipping boom at Sifto salt when the tornado blew in off Lake Huron into Goderich in August of 2011.
Recommendations from the inquest include:
Recommendations to Environment Canada
1/ Explore the feasibility of adding the Marine Tornado Warning banner on the weatheroffice.gc.ca town/city/municipality(Current Conditions and Forecast) page so that all warnings (public and marine) appear in the one location for each affected town/city/municipality.
2/ Explore the feasibility of including notification of Marine Tornado Warnings on the weather radio for affected shoreline communities.
Recommendation to Environment Canada, Emergency Management Ontario, and Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission ...
3/ Strongly encourage and recommend all broadcasters to participate in the National Alert Aggregation and Distribution System (N.A.A.D.)
Recommendation to Environment Canada, Emergency Management Ontario, Ontario Provincial Police, County of Huron and the Town of Goderich ...
4/ Explore enhanced ways of timely dissemination to the general public of weather warnings that pose a risk to life. Such dissemination should consider the reach of social media (Facebook, Applications, Twitter and E-mails) and the limitations of social media; and also include other forms of notifications that do not depend on technology.
To Emergency Management Ontario ...
5/ Work with municipalities to explore the feasibility of a municipal siren system for emergencies that has a consistent tone that is standardized across Ontario.
To Emergency Management Ontario, Ontario Provincial Police and County of Huron ...
6/ Explore the feasibility that all emergency response bases (i.e. 911, fire, police, ambulance) be required to have a weather radio in a suitable location to permit the monitoring of weather warnings.
To Sifto Canada Corporation ...
7/ Consider the use in Central Control of a Marine radio with a trained and licensed operator to permit the monitoring of marine weather warnings.
8/ Review and update Operating Practice OP517 to include changes in the procedures since the tornado with a focus on the automatic shutdown of a Ship Loading Boom and operator evacuation.
9/ Ensure that Ship Loading Boom Operators are re-trained on the new procedures and equipment for the Ship Loading Boom.
10/ Continue ongoing training regarding emergency preparedness
11/ Review the emergency preparedness plan with respect to the need for radio replacement batteries at rally points.
To the Town of Goderich, County of Huron and Emergency Management Ontario ...
12/ Engage in ongoing public sector education and private sector communication regarding emergency preparedness focused on, but not limited to, the value of weather radios.
To Town of Goderich ...
13/ Consider the implementation of a siren system for public altering in emergencies.
And to the Ministry of Labour ...
14/ Explore and consider the requirement of weather radios within workplaces with equipment that may be affected by weather warnings.
