Emergency Solutions International

10/14/2026

The Team at Emergency Solutions International is proud to be facilitating this preparedness event through the leadership at Saint John Airport/aéroport de saint john with over 15 Regional Assisting and Cooperating Agencies to provide the opportunity to practice together and ensure joint interoperability. The Saint John Airport and its partners are

✈️ Multi-Agency Emergency Training Exercise at Saint John Airport 🚒

The Saint John Fire Department advises the public that a multi-agency emergency training exercise will be conducted at Saint John Airport on Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

During the exercise, residents may notice an increased presence of emergency and specialty response vehicles, aircraft-related emergency equipment, and personnel participating in training activities at the airport.

This exercise is being conducted to enhance coordination, preparedness, and response capabilities among participating agencies in the event of an emergency.

⚠️ This is only a training exercise. There is no emergency and no public safety concerns. ✅

The Saint John Fire Department thanks residents for their understanding as emergency responders take part in this important training opportunity.

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✈️ Exercice multiagences d’entraînement aux opérations d’urgence à l’aéroport de Saint John 🚒

Le Service d’incendie de Saint John informe le public qu’un exercice d’entraînement aux opérations d’urgence faisant participer plusieurs agences se déroulera à l’aéroport de Saint John le mercredi 14 octobre 2026.

Pendant l’exercice, les résidents pourraient remarquer une présence accrue de véhicules d’urgence et de réponse spécialisée, d’équipements d’urgence liés aux aéronefs, ainsi que de personnel participant aux activités d’entraînement à l’aéroport.

Cet exercice est mené afin d’améliorer la coordination, la préparation et les capacités d’intervention en cas d’urgence des agences participantes.

⚠️ Il ne s’agit que d’un exercice d’entraînement. Il n’y a pas d’urgence ni de préoccupations en matière de sécurité publique. ✅

Le Service d’incendie de Saint John remercie les résidents pour leur compréhension alors que les intervenants d’urgence participent à cette importante séance d’entraînement.

10/13/2026

Interpretation and Application of Risk Information

One of the most common misconceptions in emergency management is that better decisions come from having more information.

In reality, most communities already have plenty of information.

Risk assessments identify hazards. Plans identify gaps. Exercises reveal weaknesses. Incident reviews highlight opportunities for improvement.

The challenge is rarely finding another issue that requires attention.

The challenge is deciding what to do first.

Every community operates with finite resources. Time, funding, staffing, and organizational capacity all have limits. When everything is presented as a priority, leadership is left with the difficult task of determining where effort will produce the greatest benefit.

That is why effective risk assessments do more than identify concerns. They help decision-makers establish priorities, sequence actions, and direct resources toward initiatives that will have the most meaningful impact on community resilience.

At ESI, we have found that some of the most valuable discussions occur after the analysis is complete. The conversation shifts from understanding risk to understanding what should be done about it.

Because identifying risk is only the beginning.

Improvement occurs when information is translated into decisions.

This is one of the themes ESI's Mark Gillan will explore at AEMC 2026 during his session, Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans: Beyond the Data, Analyzing Risk to Improve Community All-Hazard Capabilities.

We look forward to continuing that discussion in Membertou later this month.

10/09/2026

During Fire Prevention Week, Emergency Solutions International recognizes the many clients we’re proud to work with who are rooted in the fire service.

This year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” highlights the importance of safe charging practices to help prevent fires involving lithium-ion batteries.

We appreciate the opportunity to support professionals who work every day to protect people and communities. Thank you for what you do, this week and throughout the year.

10/07/2026

Emergency managers rarely struggle to identify issues. The challenge is deciding what to address first.

Over the years, ESI has worked with communities and organizations that have invested significant effort in risk assessments, planning, and capability reviews. Almost every assessment identifies valid concerns. Infrastructure vulnerabilities, response capacity limitations, planning gaps, communications challenges, training needs, and resource constraints all deserve attention.

The difficult part begins after the assessment is complete.

Communities operate with finite people, finite funding, and finite time. Addressing every finding simultaneously is rarely possible. As a result, the real value of a risk assessment is not the length of the findings list. It is the ability to help leaders understand which actions will have the greatest impact and where effort should be focused first.

This is one of the reasons ESI places significant emphasis on translating assessment findings into practical priorities. Data informs decisions, but priorities drive improvement.

A risk study that sits on a shelf delivers little value. A risk study that helps a community sequence actions, build momentum, and direct limited resources toward meaningful outcomes becomes a powerful tool for strengthening resilience.

This concept is also central to the presentation that ESI's Mark Gillan will deliver at AEMC 2026. Through Community Wildfire Resiliency Planning and the broader emergency management lens provided by CSA Z1600, the session will explore how communities can move beyond identifying risk and toward establishing defensible priorities for program improvement.

We look forward to continuing that conversation with emergency management professionals from across Atlantic Canada in Membertou later this month.

09/30/2026

Today, we honour the survivors of residential schools, remember the children who never returned home, and reflect on the enduring impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous Peoples, families, and communities.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a time to listen, learn, and deepen our understanding of the truths of our shared history. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing journey of reconciliation and the role each of us can play in building respectful relationships founded on understanding, respect, and commitment.

09/25/2026

At ESI, risk assessments frequently begin with data. Maps, hazard information, infrastructure inventories, demographics, historical incidents, and technical studies all provide an important foundation for understanding risk.

What is often overlooked is the importance of local knowledge in interpreting that information.

A map may identify a road as a critical access route. A public works supervisor can explain how that route actually performs during severe weather.

An infrastructure inventory may identify a facility as critical. The people responsible for operating that facility can explain the limitations, dependencies, and challenges that may never appear in a report.

A risk assessment may identify a neighbourhood as vulnerable. Local responders can often explain why.

Some of the most valuable findings ESI has developed over the years have emerged through conversations with municipal staff, community leaders, operational personnel, Indigenous communities, first responders, and infrastructure operators. Those conversations provide context that helps distinguish between theoretical risk and operational reality.

The strongest plans are rarely built from data alone. They are built from a combination of analysis, experience, and local knowledge.

That is one of the reasons events such as the Atlantic Emergency Management Conference remain valuable. While reports, studies, and guidance documents all play important roles, there is still tremendous value in bringing professionals together to exchange perspectives, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another's experiences.

As ESI prepares for AEMC 2026 as a Platinum Sponsor and for our third year attending, we look forward to continuing those conversations with emergency management professionals from across Atlantic Canada.

09/13/2026

Why ESI continues to invest in the Atlantic Emergency Management Conference, presented by the North Shore Mi'kmaq Tribal Council - NSMTC:

Over the years, ESI has had the opportunity to work alongside municipalities, Indigenous communities, governments, critical infrastructure organizations, and industry partners throughout Atlantic Canada.

One observation continues to emerge regardless of the hazard, geography, or jurisdiction involved:

Strong emergency management is built on relationships long before it is tested by an emergency.

Plans, procedures, and technology all matter. But when incidents become complex, communities depend on people who understand one another's capabilities, limitations, and ways of working. Those relationships are difficult to build during an emergency. They are built through ongoing collaboration, shared learning, and professional engagement.

That is one of the reasons ESI is proud to return to the Atlantic Emergency Management Conference for a third year, and why we have chosen to support this year's event as a Platinum Sponsor.

The conference brings together emergency management professionals, first responders, community leaders, government representatives, researchers, and industry partners from across Atlantic Canada. It creates an opportunity to exchange ideas, strengthen professional networks, and learn from the experiences of others.

This year's theme, Strengthening Roots, is particularly fitting. Effective emergency management is built on strong foundations: relationships, knowledge, trust, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

We look forward to reconnecting with colleagues, meeting new professionals from across the region, and contributing to the conversations that help strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience throughout Atlantic Canada.

We'll be sharing more about our conference involvement, observations from our work across the region, and details about Mark Gillan's presentation in the weeks ahead.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Membertou this October.

09/10/2026

A big congratulations is in order!

Please join us in congratulating ESI Instructor/Evaluator, Melissa Martin on recently receiving her Certificate in Fire Service Leadership awarded by Dalhousie University!

This achievement is a fantastic reflection of Melissa's dedication to professional development, leadership, and the Fire Service. We're proud to have Melissa as part of the ESI Team and look forward to seeing all that she continues to accomplish!

08/28/2026

Complex incidents rarely inflict their pain all at once. One of the most challenging aspects of emergency management is that major incidents rarely progress in a straight line.

Flood waters begin to recede, and attention turns toward recovery, only for another rainfall event to threaten already saturated areas. A wildfire appears to have stabilized, and crews begin gaining ground, until changing winds alter fire behaviour and create new risks.

Communities start restoring infrastructure, reopening roads, and helping residents return home, only to discover that the conditions that created the emergency have not fully disappeared.

Recent events in Nepal provide a powerful example. A catastrophic debris flow and flood caused devastating impacts across the region. In the aftermath, debris obstructed the river system and created a barrier lake, introducing the possibility of another damaging flood event while response and recovery activities were still underway.

These situations are particularly difficult because people naturally begin shifting their focus from response to recovery. Resources are reassigned. Infrastructure repairs begin. Residents and responders who have been operating under intense pressure for days or weeks begin to see signs of progress.

Yet this is often when continued situational awareness becomes most important.

Effective incident management depends on continuous intelligence gathering, information sharing, and reassessment of changing conditions. The hazard that caused the emergency may be diminishing while a new hazard is emerging. Decisions that were appropriate yesterday may no longer be appropriate today.

The objective is not simply to manage today's conditions. It is to continuously understand what could happen next, especially when people are at their most vulnerable and increasingly focused on moving forward.

07/16/2026

We're hiring!

ESI is excited to be growing our team! We're looking for an Administrative Clerk to join us on a one-year contract, with the potential for the role to become permanent.

We feel incredibly fortunate to work alongside such an amazing group of people, and we're excited to welcome another great addition to our team.

If you or someone you know is interested, we'd love to hear from you! Please send your resumes to Hailey at [email protected]

Check out the job here:
https://esintl.ca/career-opportunities/

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