Good Neighbour Blog

We write about things we find interesting within the emergency management field

Throwback Thursday - The Ice Storm of 1998

From January 4 to 10, 1998, parts of eastern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, and bordering areas from New York to Maine, were battered with freezing rain and ice pellets. Massive damage to trees, homes, and infrastructure – including electrical infrastructure – caused at least 37 fatalities and led to millions of people without power. Major bridges were closed for fears of weight intolerances. Falling ice chunks became a severe hazard. Power lines completely

Apr 162 min read

Using AI in EM

As emergency managers, should we be using generative AI? AI is a dangerous tool. There are significant ethical and environmental considerations tied to its use. Data centres are often built in underserved, rural areas where residents have little control. There are concerns and complaints about noise and light pollution, unjust labour, habitat loss, and environmental degradation. The algorithm and how AI is trained is often biased, and results are not always accurate and are

Feb 282 min read

Throwback Thursday - Aberfan

On Oct 21, 1966, at 9:15 am, a colliery spoil tip collapsed in Aberfan, Wales, causing it to slide downhill as an avalanche of slurry. It completely engulfed a school and a row of houses, killing 116 children and 28 adults. Of the children killed most were between the ages of 7 and 10; 109 children and five adults died inside the school. Twenty-nine children and 6 adults were injured. There were a number of spoil tips above Aberfan. Tip 7, the one that collapsed, was starte

Feb 132 min read