ABOVE WATCH: Even with all the technology Environment Canada says the most we can hope for when it comes to tornado warnings is 10 to 15 minutes, and after what happened yesterday emergency responders say we have a lot to learn about what we do in that time. Global’s Stefan Keyes reports.
CALGARY – Some Calgary parents are angry about what they call a lack of safety protocols at a summer camp childcare centre in the city’s southeast during Wednesday’s tornado scare.
A Chaparral resident whose child attends Juvenescence Child Development Centre contacted Global News, saying about 20 children were put in danger during the tornado warning.
IN PHOTOS: Funnel cloud spotted over Calgary, parts of southern Alberta
He said two staff members told him children were taken to the neighbouring school for protection upon seeing the funnel cloud outside their window, and then contacted the centre’s owner. The resident, who did not wish to be identified in our online article, said the owner told staff to take children back to the portable that houses the program as the owner “did not have insurance for the kids to be in the school.”
“My wife contacted the owner to express our concerns about this decision and was told by the owner that she instructed the workers to return the kids to the portable, keep them away from the windows and turn on a movie loud enough to cover the sound of the thunder as it was scaring some of the kids,” wrote the concerned parent in an email to Global News.
READ MORE: Myths and facts about tornadoes
Juvenescence owner and operator Jennifer Bulmer declined an on-camera interview but said “children were never in danger” in a statement to Global News.
“Juvenescence Child Development Centre Ltd followed an approved and accepted protocol and children were perfectly safe,” Bulmer said in the statement.
“We take our obligations for safety very seriously and did exactly as we were supposed to do.”
When asked if the centre was looking into a tornado-specific plan, Bulmer wrote, “any time a situation or concern arises that our staff debrief and ensure that best practice is in place and our policies continue to reflect best practice.”
But the Chaparral parent said when his wife asked the owner about the safety of their plan on Wednesday, she told her she “didn’t think about the fact that a portable is not a safe place for kids to be in the event of a tornado.”
“I was angry,” he said. “Nothing happened, but what if? And to have the attitude [that] whether she’s insured or not overrode the safety of all these other kids? That was the overriding factor? And then to put them in a portable? That was wrong.”
The apparent misstep on the part of the childcare centre wasn’t the only mistake made in the Calgary area on Wednesday.
Tom Sampson, chief of the Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA), said a number of buildings asked people to evacuate Wednesday afternoon, but that’s not the best practice.
“We ask you not to evacuate,” said Sampson. “The majority of people killed in tornadoes are killed in the debris that comes out from them. You’re safest indoors and away from the windows.”
Watch below: City of Calgary officials and Environment Canada respond to the storm that produced a tornado on July 22
Sampson said the top safety tips during a tornado are to stay indoors away from windows, go to a basement if possible, and separate yourself from anything that might fly around. He encouraged parents to have a “family emergency plan” so kids know who to call and what to do.
READ MORE: What to do during a tornado warning
Alberta Health Services said its zone-based emergency/disaster management teams have protocols in place at hospitals for tornado warnings, including signage to guide staff, patients and visitors to “safer areas” within the facilities.
“There are weather radios at all AHS in-patient sites that allow users to receive severe weather watches and warning within defined geographical areas,” said Don Stewart in an email to Global News. “Also, there are severe weather plan templates for AHS sites (acute care, LTC, rural hospitals and urgent care centres) to assist in the development of site-specific response protocols in response to severe weather events.”
As unstable weather continues to appear in the weekend forecast, many will be attending the Calgary Folk Music Festival, which kicks off Thursday. Organizers said they have a 36-page emergency response document as well as a meteorologist on site monitoring winds and storm activity.
The festival staff said they also have a “full emergency island evacuation plan” to move crowds off of Prince’s Island if necessary.
READ MORE: Tornado touched down southwest of Calgary: Environment Canada
With files from Stefan Keyes
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