Visit to Emergency Operations Centre

(in event of an emergency all fire and police officials, medical officer of health, and city officials use this office as a coordination centre)

Fire Chief Dave Fields   
Deputy Fire Chief Tim Berthiaume
Inspector Dave Rossell, Inspector in charge of Operations- Support Services, Windsor Police Services
Dr. Alan Heimann, Medical Officer of Health  
Mr. Brian Bildfell, Director, Ambulance Services  
Mr. Al Reaume, Assistant Chief of Fire and Rescue Services 

• Emergency response planning in City of Windsor

• Special challenges of providing services in a border city; effect of border shutdowns or border slowdowns on emergency planning (major traffic jams because of volume of trucks; fumes from trucks etc.)

• Co-operation with US counterparts (draft agreement for mutual assistance is in place)

• Windsor has one of three hazardous materials teams in Ontario (others are in Ottawa and Toronto)

• Shippers are supposed to use the barge system for conveying hazardous material across the border but sometimes they use the Windsor-Detroit tunnel or the Ambassador bridge;

Informal luncheon meeting with business community 

Mr. Gary Hillier, Chair, Transportation Policy Committee, Windsor Chamber of Commerce; Director, Ambassador Brokerage Limited

Ms Linda Smith, President, Windsor Chamber of Commerce 

Mr. Keith Andrews, Vice President, Corporation Affairs and Administration, Casino Windsor.

Ms. Eda Cross-Miles, Manager, External Affairs and Public Policy, Daimler Chrysler Canada Inc.

Discussion about security measures at the border and the impact of traffic congestion on commercial activity.

780 Huron Church Road, Windsor 

Mr. Pete DiPonio, Regional Director, Customs, Windsor – St. Clair Division, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency 

Ms Lisa Kobel, Director, Ontario West, Citizenship and Immigration Canada 

Mr. Danny J. Yen, Manager, Communications, Customs, Windsor – St. Clair Division, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency 

Mr. Gerry Newman, Director, Commercial, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency 

Mr. James H. Johnston, Director, Intelligence and Contraband, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency 

Ms. Sheryl Mahaffy, Director (Tunnel), Canada Customs and Revenue Agency 

Mr. Andrew Patrick Malone, Acting-Director, Canada Customs and Revenue Agency 

Briefing will include situation at both Ambassador Bridge and Windsor-Detroit Tunnel 

Windsor is the busiest land border crossing in North America; last year 1.7 million trucks and 5 to 6 million cars used this crossing; there are 20 primary inspection lines – 10 for cars and 10 for trucks 

Tour of NEXUS system (pre-approved low risk travellers) 

Closing comments and farewell