County of Vermillion Protective Servcies photo
DILLBERRY LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK — On July 8, at 8:30 p.m., a severe weather event, believed to be a tornado, struck Dillberry Lake Provincial Park campground. At the time, there were 42 occupied camping sites.
RCMP, along with Chauvin Fire Services and Emergency Medical Services, attended the campground where it was discovered that multiple units were damaged. Three individuals had sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment.
Upon receiving the initial 911 call, officers from the Wainwright RCMP detachment immediately mobilized to the area. Simultaneously, Alberta RCMP Real Time Operations Centre (RTOC) coordinated a comprehensive response, including the deployment of officers from surrounding detachments and specialized resources. Shortly after the call coming in, Edmonton Police Service dispatched their Air One Helicopter to assist. The Alberta RCMP’s Divisional Emergency Operations Centre (DEOC) was also activated and assigned additional resources to support the response.
Within 2 hours of receiving the initial call, DEOC had established a unified command post on site and working with regional partners began a systematic search and rescue effort.
Additional RCMP resources deployed to support public safety efforts included the Tactical Support Group, Police Dog Services, and Air Services. In confirming the welfare and location of some campers, RCMP officers as far away as Kimberly, B.C., were engaged.
As per the RCMP’s Mass Victimisation Protocols, a Victim Information Center was set up to provide support to those effected. The Victim Information Center had to expand quickly with the scale of the incident and they worked with those involved helping account for anyone who was missing following the incident. Along with helping to reunite families who were separated during the incident, they provided trauma informed care for those involved. A reception center was established at the Chauvin Community Center at 10:30 p.m., and as of 1:30 a.m., every camper had been successfully accounted for.
The success of this operation would not have been possible without the support of our provincial and municipal partners. These resources include:
- Multiple RCMP detachments/officers
- Search and Rescue Alberta
- RCMP Tactical Support Group
- Edmonton Police Service Air 1
- RCMP Police Dog Services
- RCMP Air Services
- The Chauvin Fire Department
- Emergency Medical Services
- Alberta Parks
- Wainwright MD Reeve Mike Wildeboer and CAO Kelly Buchinski
- Mayor of Chauvin Alan Dow.
“This response demonstrates the strength of our partnerships and the dedication of emergency responders across the region,” said Sgt Michael Miller. “Through a coordinated effort, we were able to quickly establish command, conduct search-and-rescue operations, and ensure everyone affected by this event received the support they needed.”
The Alberta RCMP extends its sincere appreciation to all responding agencies, volunteers, and community leaders whose cooperation contributed to the successful outcome of this incident. As there is no longer an active public safety concern, management of the site will now transition to the Municipal District.
