he ESS plan is an important part of the community’s emergency plan. During an emergency response, the ESS plan can be activated, either in whole or in part, under the direction of the local ESS Director, Emergency Program Coordinator (EPC) or designate. Whether or not a GL facility will be opened is dependent on many factors including the size of the emergency, the number of evacuees, the availability of commercial lodging in a community, and the availability of trained ESS responders.
While commercial accommodations are generally the preferred choice for meeting evacuees’ lodging needs, the impact of the disaster, the resources within the community, and/or other considerations may necessitate the activation of GL facilities. A GL facility may be activated during a large or complex event(s), or at an ESS Level 3 response. Generally, there are a large number of evacuees and the event typically involves multiple dwellings or neighbourhoods.
