Dr. Patricia Martel has more than 17 years of experience in emergency management. This includes working with provincial and regional governments, municipalities and Indigenous communities.
Patricia completed a PhD focused on operational emergency planning for vulnerable populations to learn how to better transform theory and practice into effective solutions,
Patricia has developed recognized best practices for hazard identification and risk assessment, emergency planning for vulnerable groups and public education. This includes the 2012 Provincial HIRA, which was internationally acclaimed for features including pro-active assessment of changes in vulnerability and frequency risk due to factors such as climate change.
Experience
During her experience in emergency management, Patricia worked with Emergency Management Ontario, where she specialized in hazard identification and risk assessment. She currently works at Niagara Region, leading the Emergency Management Program.
Patricia has served in diverse positions in different Emergency Operation Centres for many large-scale emergencies. She has been in the field during impact for hazards ranging from tornadoes to earthquakes.
Memberships and Committees
- Editorial Board, Canadian Journal of Emergency Management (CJEM)
- Training Program Development Coordinator, Manitoba Association of Municipal Emergency Coordinators (MAMEC)
- Past President, Canadian Risk and Hazards Network, CRHNet
- Chair, Niagara Partners Eclipse Working Group
- Co-Chair, Provincial Eclipse Working Group
- Ontario Association of Emergency Managers (OAEM)
- Regional and Single Tier Working Group (RSTM)
Education
2019
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geography
Wilfrid Laurier University
2018
Associate Business Continuity Professional
Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI International)
2015
Certified Emergency Manager
International Association of Emergency Managers
2008
Master of Science (MSc) in Earth Sciences
Brock University
2004
Bachelor of Science (Hons.) in Physical Geography
Brock University
Awards
2015
Brian Hook Memorial Award
Ontario Association of Emergency Managers
Research
Research interest
Emergency planning for vulnerable groups
Risk perception
Comprehensive emergency management programs
Publications
Williams, B. & Martel, P. (2022). Incident Command and Training. In C. J. Collins and D. Blackburn (Eds.), Introduction to Emergency Management in Canada. Emond Publishing.
Martel, P. (2020). Effective Risk Assessment for Manitoba Communities. Workbook developed for the Manitoba Disaster Management Conference.
Martel, P. (2019). The Social Construction of a Disaster Typology to Enhance Operational Emergency Planning for K-8 Public Schools in Southern Ontario. Dissertation. Wilfrid Laurier University. Waterloo, Ontario.
Martel, P. (2016). Provincial Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Report. Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management. Ministry of the Solicitor General. Province of Ontario.
Martel, P. (2015). Developing a New Risk Assessment Methodology for Ontario. Ontario Association of Emergency Managers.
Martel, P. (2014). A Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Tool for the Province of Ontario and Communities. In: Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) Understanding Risk: The Evolution of Disaster Risk Assessment Since 2005. Background Paper Prepared for the 2015 Global Assessment Report (GAR) on Disaster Risk Reduction. Pg. 190 – 193. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
Martel, P.M. (2013). Assessing Risk in a Changing Climate. HazNet. Canadian Risk and Hazards Network. Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 30 – 32.
Martel, P. (2012). The Ontario Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment. Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Government of Ontario.
Martel, P. (2012). Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Workbook. Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Government of Ontario