Calian donates in-kind software to Centre for Applied Disaster Emergency Management

Published on October 28, 2021

NAIT's  Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management (CADEM) ability to train students and members of industry in managing an emergency will be enhanced thanks to Calian Group’s donation of their ResponseReady™ exercise design tool. 

According to program coordinator Tracy Blaine, the pandemic has shone a light on the importance for organizations and emergency management professionals to be better prepared in their communications at the onset and throughout crisis situations, including natural disasters, data breaches, terrorist attacks and pandemics.  

Current methods of testing crisis and response communication within CADEM’s simulation lab are done manually by trainers, which Blaine says can affect the realistic timing of emerging communication scenarios. She adds that because communicating during a crisis is a difficult skill to practice, the multitude of communication channels and the speed in which communication needs to evolve in response to the various channels is difficult to replicate by trainers. 

The addition of Calian’s exercise design tool to CADEM’s simulation lab will help trainers better replicate realistic emergency response and communication scenarios in real-time, providing situational awareness of the emergency as it unfolds. The simulation tool mimics social media channels and other information sources such as phone calls, emails and media coverage, injecting different communication scenarios throughout the training exercise. A built-in evaluation tool will help trainers assess the effectiveness of participants’ responses in real-time to customizable scenarios. 

Calian’s $500,000 in-kind donation is now available as part of CADEM’s simulation lab. The Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management advances the disaster and emergency management profession through hands-on training, professional development and innovative solutions. 

QUICK FACTS 

  • Customized exercises held in CADEM’s simulation lab allow participants to take part in a safe, controlled environment to respond to any scenario they may face, including natural disasters, data breaches, terrorist attacks and pandemics. 
  • CADEM’s simulation lab is used for student learning within NAIT’s Disaster and Emergency Management program and for corporate disaster and emergency management training spanning both private and public sectors. 
  • Calian ResponseReady™  is the industry-leading exercise management and simulation platform that supports the creation, delivery and evaluation of highly realistic exercises that range from large-scale exercises to smaller organizational exercises and drills.  
  • Calian ResponseReady™ will be used at NAIT’s 2022 All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) Academy to train emergency management professionals across Canada, which will be held February 14 to 18, 2022. 

QUOTES

“Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. That’s why it was important for Calian to ensure that the NAIT is well-equipped to train continuing education students in the Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management. With the ResponseReady™ leading edge technology, trainers can develop, deliver, and evaluate highly realistic emergency exercises.”  – Don Whitty, President Learning, Calian  

“The inclusion of Calian ResponseReady™ enhances CADEM with the ability to generate and deliver the highest quality emergency management simulations.  This capability is set to provide Alberta’s municipalities and emergency management organizations with the unique opportunity to test their capabilities and develop critical skillsets.”  – Shawn Corrigan, Business Development Executive, Emergency Management, Calian 

“NAIT Industry Solutions energizes people’s ideas with skills to innovate for safe and sustainable organizations. Our partnership with Calian ensures that learners will access ResponseReady™ – an ideal platform for leading edge, online simulation technology – to help industry deliver on their emergency management goals.”    – Olle Lagerquist, Associate Vice President, Industry Solutions 

“A key measure of success in an incident response is the public perception of how that incident was handled. The ability to communicate clearly with the public is a difficult skill to practice and the many different communications platforms now available only adds to the challenge. Incorporating Calian’s intuitive ResponseReady™ tool into our exercise scenarios is a welcomed boost to our training services.”  – Tracy Blaine, NAIT Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management.  

“Calian has a proven track record of developing innovative exercises and training events for emergency management and public safety personnel across Canada, making them an ideal partner for the Centre for Applied Disaster and Emergency Management. Calian’s ResponseReady™ tool enhances NAIT’s capabilities in immersive simulation-based training and exercises. Our students and partners will leave our training activities truly prepared to respond to disaster, emergency and crisis events.”  – Josh Bowen, NAIT Disaster and Emergency Management instructor 

 
About Calian 

Calian employs over 4,500 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defense customers in North American and global markets. The Company’s diverse capabilities are delivered through: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning, and IT and Cyber Solutions. Advanced Technologies provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defense, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. Health manages a network of more than 2,000 healthcare professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defense, health, energy and other sectors. IT and Cyber Solutions supports public and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Company’s offices and projects span Canada and international markets. For further information, please visit our website at www.calian.com. 

About NAIT

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is a leading Canadian polytechnic, delivering education in science, technology and the environment; business; health and skilled trades. With over 34,000 credit and non-credit students and a 98 per cent employer satisfaction rate, NAIT grads help fuel the economic engine of the province. NAIT also contributes to Alberta's prosperity by helping businesses and communities become more competitive through industry-driven research and corporate training. Recognized as one of Alberta's top employers, NAIT provides outstanding returns on investment for its graduates, industry partners, the provincial government and the people of Alberta.

Media inquiries

Nicole Graham
NAIT Media Relations
C 780.916.8307 E media@nait.ca

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