03/22/2020
L’Ouest de l’île a vu les Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) venir à la rescousse à plus d’une occasion. Les inondations de 2017 et 2019 ont permis à une communauté de s’attaquer aux inondations extrêmes qui ont besoin d’aide. Le COVID-19 pourrait revoir le déploiement des FAC. Ces derniers jours, plus d’un repérage de véhicules des FAC a été repéré dans l’Ouest de l’île.
Des véhicules de l’armée ont été repérés dans l’ouest de l’île et au-delà pendant la crise du COVID-19
L’Opération LASER est la réponse des Forces armées canadiennes (FAC) à un monde
The West Island has seen the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) come to the rescue on more than one occasion. The 2017 and 2019 floods meant a community addressing extreme flooding needed help. The COVID-19 may see the deployment of the CAF again. In recent days more than one spotting of CAF vehicles have been spotted in the West Island.
Army vehicles have been spotted in the West Island and beyond during the COVID-19 crisis
Operation LASER is the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) response to a worldwide pandemic situation. The CAF is prepared for this outbreak should the need become necessary.
HMCS Nanaimo and HMCS Whitehorse (ships) will return to Canada earlier than planned from due to ongoing concerns of the spread of COVID-19.
The ships were originally set to return to their homeport of Esquimalt, British Columbia, in mid-May and they are now expected to arrive in early April. The exact date is still to be determined as details are being finalized.
OPERATION LASER
During Operation LASER, the CAF implement certain measures on their personnel and Department of National Defence (DND) employees to reduce the impacts of a pandemic situation. These measures are implemented in order to maintain operational capabilities and readiness to support Government of Canada objectives and requests for assistance.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?The three lines of effort for Operation LASERPreserve and protect CAF personnel to maintain operational capabilities and readiness, and meet the core mandates of the CAF.Assess CAF activities at home and abroad including continuity plans, protecting defence supply chains, and taking measures to limit the chance of infection of CAF personnel.Support other government departments to ensure the CAF are ready to support the Government of Canada’s objectives and requests for assistance.Phases
Operation LASER is the activation of Contingency Plan (CONPLAN) LASER for the response to a pandemic of an influenza-like disease. It consists of 4 phases:
Phase 1: Pandemic preparednessMitigation planning and normal monitoring of worldwide pandemic threatsThis phase is permanently activated unless a higher Phase is activePhase 2: Pandemic alertActive monitoring of the evolving pandemic threat, with some protective measures adoptedThis phase is activated by the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS)Phase 3: Pandemic responseActivated on order of the CDS, this phase is characterized by widespread and continuous transmission of the virus in the general population and the imminent risk or existence of significant absentee ratesThe Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) response will be dependent on the disease’s impact in and around the location of CAF elements and requests for assistance to civil authoritiesPhase 4: Post pandemic restorationThis phase starts when the CDS declares that the pandemic situation has concludedThis phase involves the resumption and re-establishment of all DND/CAF services and operations to normal levelsThis phase transitions back to Phase 1 and coincides with Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) declaring a post-pandemic phaseOperation LASER 20-01 – COVID-19
Update
For up-to-date Government of Canada information related to COVID-19, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html
The CDS activated phase 2 of Operation LASER on March 2, 2020. On March 13, 2020, he activated phase 3.
Joint Task Force-LASER
1st Canadian Division Headquarters is assigned as Joint Task Force-LASER (JTF-LR). They are a high-readiness, rapid-response unit based out of Kingston, Ontario.
JTF-LR is responsible for the coordination and command of all domestic operations related to Operation LASER. Their role is to:
monitor and implement force health protection measures that preserve CAF operational capabilities andrespond to and act on requests for assistance from other government departments and agencies
(source: CAF website)
2019 Novel Coronavirus infection, also called COVID-19 or 2019-nCoV: symptoms, vaccines, treatment, incubation period, where to find current information, how to protect yourself, precautions while travelling, travel health notices, actions being taken at Canadian airports
