Alberta EDS units prepare for disaster season with weekend of training and a cookoff competition

Team Edmonton prepares food at EDS Cookoff
by zackd
Categories: Uncategorized
Share:

    Emergency Disaster Service (EDS) teams across Alberta came together at The Salvation Army’s Pine Lake Camp from April 28 to 30 for the EDS Training Weekend. The event marked the first time all the province’s units were in the same place at the same time.

    There were a lot of smiling faces and laughs shared between teams who rarely see each other. However, at the heart of the event was the diligent preparation for providing their communities with the best services during dreadful circumstances.

    The weekend included training on media relations, maintaining a Community Response Unit (CRU), critical stress incident management, and training a trainer courses.

    “We’re coming into Emergency Preparedness Week, so we’re getting training done, and we’re also having our equipment standby-ready,” Major Ben Lippers, Divisional Director of Emergency Services, said. “We’re having a great time out here, but it’s really serious when a disaster does hit, so we’ve got to be ready.”

    The fun Major Lippers is referring to is a friendly cookoff competition. The eight teams from Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, High Prairie, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Grand Prairie, and the Community Resource Centre (CRC) served delicious meals as they tried to one-up each other while also learning new recipes from each other.

    taking a selfie at the EDS cook off

    The meals included a wide range of dishes, including spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed peppers, bagged taco salad, chicken parmesan, and vermicelli.

    “We’ve got a little bragging rights (on the line) as to who has the best cooks and well-organized canteen,” Major Lippers said. “So, we go through this exercise to make sure our equipment is ready.”

    The cookoff’s judges considered factors like cost per plate, nutritional value, the practicality of the meal, and the ability to reuse or repurpose the leftovers.

    Team Lethbridge won the award for Best Kept Canteen, while Team Edmonton won Best Dish with the Newfoundland meal Jigg’s Dinner.

    The competition also acted as a test run for the real deal, so each team was assured their equipment was ready to go. They didn’t just make sure the food tasted good; they also ensured the safety equipment worked and they met safety regulations.

    Drone shot of the EDS cookoff

    “We’re double checking and triple checking, and this is a way for me to look at the equipment and make sure it is job ready for the disaster seasons, which start right now,” Major Lippers said.

    Unfortunately, mother nature didn’t take long to prove Lippers correct. The Alberta wildfires broke out only a short time after that weekend.

    EDS was deployed to the High Prairie area on May 9. They’re currently serving meals at Elks Rodeo Hall in High Prairie and a Community Hall in Gift Lake Metis Settlement to evacuees.

    As of May 15, the team had served 3,400 meals, 4,433 drinks, and 3,686 snacks and worked over 1200 hours combined.

    The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services team will continue to serve communities affected by a disaster. To donate to the cause, visit SalvationArmy.ca/donate or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.