Mr Harjit S. Sajjan visits the Regional Crisis Centre

Earlier this week, Sophie Lavaux, High official of the Brussels Conurbation, welcomed Mr Harjit S. Sajjan, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada, and his delegation to the Regional Crisis Centre (RCCR).


 

On the programme

During the visit, our colleagues gave a comprehensive presentation on crisis management in the Brussels-Capital Region. This introduction highlighted the specific strategies put in place to respond to crises in the region, with a particular focus on the technical and operational aspects of the Regional Crisis Centre.

Next, Michel Goovaerts, Chief of Police of the Brussels-Capital Ixelles police zone, illustrated the pooling of services and the role of the "GOLD". He also underlined the effectiveness of the synergies developed within the safe.brussels building, which brings together several services under one roof to improve coordination in times of crisis.

Laurent Coucke, Coordinating Director (DirCo), then detailed his responsibilities, in particular his essential role in managing and coordinating operations during the implementation of emergency plans.

Finally, Mr Sajjan expressed particular interest in the BE-alert system, a tool used in Belgium to rapidly inform the population in the event of an emergency, and a Belgian technology that could inspire certain developments in the Canadian crisis management system.


 

Context of the visit

This visit is part of the reform of emergency planning services in Canada. 
With the increase in natural disasters, such as forest fires and hurricanes, and recent health crises, the ability of municipal, provincial and federal services to respond to these events has been put to the test. Canada is looking to strengthen its crisis management response, inspired in part by international examples such as Belgium.

This meeting enables the two countries to share their respective experiences in crisis management, while strengthening international cooperation in this essential area. 

More informations on crisis management in Brussels Region: https://safe.brussels/en/crisis-management