NAIT's Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management (CADEM) ability to train students and members of industry in managing an emergency will be enhanced thanks to Calian Group’s donation of their ResponseReady™ exercise design tool.
According to program coordinator Tracy Blaine, the pandemic has shone a light on the importance for organizations and emergency management professionals to be better prepared in their communications at the onset and throughout crisis situations, including natural disasters, data breaches, terrorist attacks and pandemics.
Current methods of testing crisis and response communication within CADEM’s simulation lab are done manually by trainers, which Blaine says can affect the realistic timing of emerging communication scenarios. She adds that because communicating during a crisis is a difficult skill to practice, the multitude of communication channels and the speed in which communication needs to evolve in response to the various channels is difficult to replicate by trainers.
The addition of Calian’s exercise design tool to CADEM’s simulation lab will help trainers better replicate realistic emergency response and communication scenarios in real-time, providing situational awareness of the emergency as it unfolds. The simulation tool mimics social media channels and other information sources such as phone calls, emails and media coverage, injecting different communication scenarios throughout the training exercise. A built-in evaluation tool will help trainers assess the effectiveness of participants’ responses in real-time to customizable scenarios.
Calian’s $500,000 in-kind donation is now available as part of CADEM’s simulation lab. The Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management advances the disaster and emergency management profession through hands-on training, professional development and innovative solutions.
QUICK FACTS
- Customized exercises held in CADEM’s simulation lab allow participants to take part in a safe, controlled environment to respond to any scenario they may face, including natural disasters, data breaches, terrorist attacks and pandemics.
- CADEM’s simulation lab is used for student learning within NAIT’s Disaster and Emergency Management program and for corporate disaster and emergency management training spanning both private and public sectors.
- Calian ResponseReady™ is the industry-leading exercise management and simulation platform that supports the creation, delivery and evaluation of highly realistic exercises that range from large-scale exercises to smaller organizational exercises and drills.
- Calian ResponseReady™ will be used at NAIT’s 2022 All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) Academy to train emergency management professionals across Canada, which will be held February 14 to 18, 2022.
QUOTES
About Calian
Calian employs over 4,500 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defense customers in North American and global markets. The Company’s diverse capabilities are delivered through: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning, and IT and Cyber Solutions. Advanced Technologies provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defense, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. Health manages a network of more than 2,000 healthcare professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defense, health, energy and other sectors. IT and Cyber Solutions supports public and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Company’s offices and projects span Canada and international markets. For further information, please visit our website at www.calian.com.
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