About Us

Lunenburg County Regional Emergency Management Organization

REMO stands for Regional Emergency Management Organization. The Lunenburg County REMO supports the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg, the Municipality of the District of Chester, the Town of Bridgewater, the Town of Mahone Bay, and the Town of Lunenburg for emergency management response.

The Nova Scotia Emergency Management Act (PDF) states that responsibility for the health and welfare of the public rests with the elected officials of a municipal government. Every municipality must be prepared within its own capabilities to meet any threat that may arise from emergencies or disasters.
Given the close geographical proximity and the ability to increase the efficiency of resources, a Regional Emergency Response Agreement was signed creating a Regional Emergency Management Organization (REMO).

REMO assesses emergencies through an “all-hazard approach” of prevention & mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. A Regional Emergency Response Plan has been developed to guide actions and decisions during an emergency response whether the event involves a single municipal unit, a number of municipal units, or all municipal units.

There are 3 groups within REMO:

1. The Regional Emergency Management Advisory Committee (REMAC) consists of the Mayors/Wardens and elected officials from all municipal units. This group advises their councils on REMO activities and functions within the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC) and approves emergency response plans.
2. The Planning Committee consists of individuals that might have a role to play during an emergency event. This group works in the planning and preparedness phases to ensure the community has emergency plans, procedures, and resources to support the response effort if required.
3. The Regional Emergency Management Coordinator and an Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator (AEC) acts as a liaison within each municipal unit. This group functions in all aspects of emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery and monitors both local and regional concerns.

Before an emergency in the ‘clear sky days’, REMO promotes preparedness and educates residents on their responsibility to prepare and support their own families and property in an emergency. During an emergency, REMO works behind the scenes to provide resources to first responders, facilitates linkages between partners and organizations, and requests the need for emergency shelters when required. After an emergency, REMO works with municipal units, the province, and other stakeholders to recover from the emergency and get services back up and running as quickly as possible.