Calgary health officials are preparing for the worst as thousands of people flock to Alberta for June's G-8 summit.
Bracing for everything from chemical decontamination to responding to heart attacks or mass casualties from a violent protest attack, the Calgary Health Region is formulating a massive emergency response plan of it own.
"The G-8 will be both an enormous challenge and opportunity for us with 10,000 people, including many of the world's most powerful leaders," said CHR spokesman Roman Cooney yesterday.
"We will want to have in place a response system that has been unequalled."
Plans include establishing a steering committee, assessing the CHR's readiness for the G-8 and completing a response plan, which could include setting up decontamination units.
Cooney also said the G-8 health program is similar to past successful emergency response programs, including those used in disasters such as Pine Lake and Hub Oil.
"G-8 gatherings tend to almost guarantee lots of attention and lots of activity and there's always the potential for an increased demand on the health system," Cooney said.
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