Disasters and emergencies happen everywhere. There is surely much to be learned and shared in the area of emergency and disaster management. It would be great to see Caribbean and Canadian expertise in this area collaborating and sharing what each has come to know.
TORONTO, July 3, 2024 – As extreme weather and the likelihood of disasters increase, York University today opened its new state-of-the-art Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Advanced Disaster, Emergency and Rapid Response Simulation (ADERSIM) Lab, designed to act as an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), thanks to close to $3.5 million in private and public funds.
Philanthropist and York alumnus Victor Dahdaleh and his wife Mona donated $2 million through The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation towards construction, equipment and operating costs for the lab’s EOC. In addition, the Ontario Research Fund (ORF) through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities contributed $1.45 million in initial funding.
As an EOC, the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh ADERSIM Lab is now equipped to manage, coordinate and act as a hub to support large-scale emergency operations. It will allow researchers to conduct research, train, simulate, as well as evaluate rapid emergence response strategies by government, non-government and private sector organizations across Canada and around the world, while providing assistance to other EOCs.
“The generous donation by The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation and funding from the Ontario Research Fund will allow York to make a positive difference in disaster and emergency planning not only in Ontario, but throughout Canada and around the world,” says Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University. “I want to thank Victor and Mona Dahdaleh and the government of Ontario for supporting York in its mission to advance the UN SDGs in ways that serve our local and global communities.”
The goal is to enhance disaster and emergency planning and rapid emergency response strategies to help support and train others for when disaster strikes anywhere in Canada or the world. The Victor Phillip Dahdaleh ADERSIM Lab will develop emergency management tools and technologies, train students and industry partners, and operate as a primary or support EOC during real emergencies. It is the only multifunctional EOC for research, training and operations at a university in Canada.
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Source: News@York
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