THE ELLIOT LAKE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY - PHASE II WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS OF CITY OF TORONTO, ON BEHALF OF HEAVY URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE (TF-3) CITY SOLICITOR'S OFFICE City of Toronto Station 1260, 26th Floor Metro Hall, 55 John Street Toronto, ON M5V 3C6 Richard Oliver Tel: (416) 397-7667 Fax: (416) 392-1199 Email: [email protected] Alison Barclay Tel: (416) 392-7234 Fax: (416) 392-1199 Email: [email protected] Lawyers for City of Toronto, on behalf of TF-3 1 THE ELLIOT LAKE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY - PHASE II WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS OF CITY OF TORONTO, ON BEHALF OF HEAVY URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE (TF-3) Table of Contents PART I — OVERVIEW AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 5 1. OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF EVENTS ............................................................................................................................ 6 PART II — FACTS AND ISSUES ............................................................................................................................... 10 1. TF-3 TRAINING .................................................................................................................................................. 10 2. TF-3 DEPLOYMENT ............................................................................................................................................ 12 i. MOU Between the Province and Toronto ........................................................................................................ 12 ii. Process of TF-3's Deployment to Elliot Lake ................................................................................................... 13 iii. Number of TF-3 Members Deployed .............................................................................................................. 16 iv. Time for TF-3 Deployment ............................................................................................................................. 17 3. INCIDENT COMMAND .......................................................................................................................................... 19 4. COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (IMS) ................................................................................ 20 i. IMS Is Voluntary and Scalable ......................................................................................................................... 20 ii. IMS Core Activities .......................................................................................................................................... 21 5. PLANNING ........................................................................................................................................................ 25 i. IMS Recommendations .................................................................................................................................... 25 ii. UCRT's Inability to Contribute to Command ................................................................................................... 26 iii. Planning Section ............................................................................................................................................ 27 iv. Role of the Engineers and Doctor .................................................................................................................. 29 6. THE INCIDENT ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................................................ 31 i. Form of the Incident Action Plan ..................................................................................................................... 31 ii. Details of the Incident Action Plan ................................................................................................................. 33 iii. Chief Officer's Involvement in the Incident Action Plan ................................................................................. 44 iv. Task Member Briefings of the Incident Action Plan ....................................................................................... 45 2 7. CRANE OPERATIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 48 i. TF-3 Crane Operation Training ........................................................................................................................ 49 ii. Removal of the I-Beam ................................................................................................................................... 50 iii. Removal of the SUV ....................................................................................................................................... 51 iv. Removal of the Slabs ..................................................................................................................................... 53 8. CONSIDERATION OF SHORING THE ESCALATOR BEFORE THE RESCUERS WERE REMOVED .................................................. 58 9. MOVEMENT OF THE ESCALATOR AREA .................................................................................................................... 61 10. REMOVAL OF THE RESCUERS FROM THE BUILDING .................................................................................................... 69 i. Decision to Remove the Rescuers from the Building ....................................................................................... 70 ii. Confusion of the MOL's Role in the Removal of the Rescuers ........................................................................ 75 iii. Ontario Mine Rescue ..................................................................................................................................... 77 11. STAFF INSPECTOR NEADLES' COMMUNICATION OF THE RESCUERS BEING REMOVED ........................................................ 79 i. June 25 3:00 p.m. Community Control Group Meeting ................................................................................... 79 ii. Staff Inspector Neadles' Interaction with the Families ................................................................................... 82 iii. Communication to the Public at the June 25 5:00 p.m. Press Conference ..................................................... 84 12. OPERATIONS AFTER THE RESCUERS WERE REMOVED FROM THE BUILDING .................................................................... 86 i. Work Performed After the Rescuers Were Removed From the Building ......................................................... 86 ii. TF-3 Was Not Leaving on June 25 ................................................................................................................... 88 13. THE PRIESTLY OPERATION .................................................................................................................................... 91 i. TF-3's Contact With Priestly ............................................................................................................................ 91 ii. Concerns with the Priestly Operation ............................................................................................................. 98 iii. Call with Premier McGuinty ........................................................................................................................... 99 iv. Conduct of the Priestly Operation................................................................................................................ 101 v. Order of Removal of the Victims ................................................................................................................... 104 vi. Number of Slabs to Reach Ms. Aylwin ......................................................................................................... 106 14. CAUSE AND TIME OF DEATH ............................................................................................................................... 108 i. Doloris Perizzolo ............................................................................................................................................ 108 ii. Lucie Aylwin .................................................................................................................................................. 110 15. SIGNS OF LIFE WHILE TF-3 WAS ON SCENE ........................................................................................................... 116 i. Search and Rescue Dogs ................................................................................................................................ 117 ii. Tapping ......................................................................................................................................................... 119 iii. LifeLocator ................................................................................................................................................... 120 3 iv. Communications of the Signs of Life ............................................................................................................ 123 16. OTHER MATTERS RAISED IN THE INQUIRY .............................................................................................................. 124 i. Exchange Between Commander