Yellowknife (Mar 21/03) - The RCMP is prepared to activate its emergency operation centre if anything happens in the Northwest Territories related to the situation in Iraq.

Wednesday, hours before the first strike on Iraq, the RCMP's national office activated the emergency operation centre in Ottawa.

So far, G Division's centre remains on standby.

However, if the division receives even one incoming call related to the Iraq situation from anywhere in the NWT, they will immediately activate the centre and begin responding. Later, they will assess the situation and decide whether to keep it active.

Simply put, activation means RCMP officers will be assigned to staff the centre and monitor the situation.

Up to eight officers could work in the centre during crisis mode.

"We are prepared for anything that may happen," said Const. Dino Norris, with special projects, criminal operations branch.

"Terrorism is an open book...almost anything can happen."

For now, G Division keeps in close contact with Alberta's emergency centre, which was activated Wednesday.

The emergency operation centre in Yellowknife consists of three rooms where, if activated, G Division would keep in daily contact with local detachments about any concerns related to the situation in Iraq, said Norris.

Even if no problems arose, G Division would report twice-daily to Ottawa to ensure the lines of communication are running.

Security concerns abound

In Alberta, a big security concern is protecting oil fields. In the North, RCMP are prepared to deal with any overseas aircraft that needs to land here. Another possible concern is with the diamond mines.

"Who knows," said Norris. "Someone might take this opportunity to try to steal diamonds. We have contingency plans for that as well."

RCMP, however, will not disclose what that contingency plan may entail.

If anything serious did happen here, the RCMP's emergency operation centre has a room with a separate radio system.

This allows RCMP to isolate the crisis so police can still handle other matters in the usual way.

Another EOC room is stocked with telephones and computers. A "smartboard" resembling a chalkboard allows RCMP to project information onto it, change it, and send it over the RCMP's internal network to officers in the field.

For instance, if police need to send a map of a building, they can project it onto the screen and add notes to it before sending it.

This room is "user friendly" said Norris. Other organizations, such as the Department of National Defence can come in here, hook up their laptops and work alongside RCMP.

The third EOC room is a meeting room with two television screens constantly tuned into national news programs.

The entire centre runs off its own generator. If Yellowknife's power goes down, the system will keep on running.

Right now, the RMCP is keeping a closer eye on the situation.

"You obviously have to be a little more aware of your surroundings," said Norris. "A war in Iraq definitely would have an effect on every community in Canada."

"It's tragic," he said of the war. "But we're here to do a job and we're going to do it."

An eye on the sky

Over at the Yellowknife airport, it is business as usual, said airport manager Leo Reedyk. "At this point, we're doing nothing different," he said.

However, Transport Canada is developing security measures to implement throughout Canada in the next couple of days. The measures include more visible policing in airports, ports and major railway facilities. Transport Canada will also beef up screening of cargo and passengers passing through security at airports throughout Canada.

"That means even more thorough searches," said Transport Canada spokesperson Jacqueline Roy, "Even more hand searches of bags in addition to electronic searches."

Transport Canada will keep the public informed of any further changes, she said.

"We'll probably be issuing more information in the next couple of days."