Our Emergency Management Experience

Our Approach

We offer a comprehensive consulting service that is tailor-made for you. We help identify gaps and opportunities, provide assistance in times of need, and help implement your strategic plans. That’s how we ensure your success.

Contact us today to find out how we can support your resiliency and put you on track for success and capability in the future.

Our Experience

With nearly three decades of emergency experience, Paul Edmonds has been fortunate to have been involved in roles from operations to national strategic policy lead for incident management and flood risk strategy in the UK. Paul served in various operational and tactical roles including enforcement. Paul has a significant background in consequence management, risk assessment, as well as emergency planning and training. He has commanded multi-agency operations, national and international incidents, and served on a variety of regional and national groups and boards.

In late 2017, Paul decided to alter his career direction and move to Canada with his family. In British Columbia, he now continues to share his passion for helping others.

In 2018, Paul directed the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) response and recovery operations during the spring freshet. He also helped lead the RDOS Emergency Operations Centre response to the 2018 wildfires that scorched more than 40,000 hectares in the South Okanagan. RDOS 2018 Overview

In the latter half of 2018 and 2019, Paul provided peer review, strategic and flood response planning services for the Regional District Kootenay Boundary and the Boundary Flood Recovery team in Grand Forks, BC. Boundary Flood Recovery

Paul and his team now work on other projects with First Nations, Local Governments, Municipalities, Organizations and the Provincial Government such as; preparedness, response, risk management, communications, evacuation, and training. Notable projects include the Ministry of Agriculture Wildfire Communication pilot project, COVID-19 response, Doctors of BC emergency planning, provincial review of flood response and recovery for Fraser Basin Council, virtual EOC training and, comprehensive after-action reviews.

2018 to 2022 - Director with the BC Association of Emergency Managers since 2018, and voted in as Vice Chair for 2021. Paul continues to support the Association as a volunteer on the planning committee of the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Conference BC EPIC.

Red Dragon Consulting is a Provincially Qualified Contractor under Public Safety Canada and Emergency Management BC, and works with other qualified professionals to bring you expertise and solutions.

Paul Edmonds is an approved Incident Command System Canada Instructor ICS 100 to 300.

Red Dragon is also a group member of the Strategic Alliance for Enhanced Resilience (SAFER).

We acknowledge that we live, work and play within First Nation territories who have inalienable Aboriginal Title and Rights.

Read more about Paul's background on his LinkedIn profile on the Home Page.

Qualifications

2019 to 2024: Provincially Qualified Contractor for Emergency Management & Hazard Risk Vulnerability Assessment Facilitation

Instructor ICS Canada 100 to 300 (EMCR Recognized)

Strategic (Gold) Incident Commander: Association of Chief of Police Officers

On Shore Commander: Her Majesty’s Coastguard

Strategic Government Liaison Officer: Government Agency

Strategic Incident Manager: Government Agency

Tactical (Silver) Government Liaison Officer: Dyfed Powys Police Force

Tactical Incident Manager: Dyfed Powys Police Force

Operational Incident Manager: Government Agency

Incident Command System Instructor

Incident Command System 100: Justice Institute British Columbia

Incident Command System 300: Justice Institute British Columbia

BSc Hons Tech University of Surrey UK

Member- Steering Committee EPIC- 3 years

Director & Vice-Chair- British Columbia Association of Emergency Managers - 4 years

Chair – Emergency Panning Society Wales – 2-year term UK

Chair – Police Force Risk Assessment (Civil and Counter-Terrorism) two terms – 6 years UK

National Member – Risk Assessment Group (Civil and Counter-Terrorism) – 6 years UK

National Representative for UK Incident Management Policy – 5 years

Lead Resilience Manager National inland spills and maritime events - 10 years

Chair - Energy Sector Multi-Agency Preparedness Group - 5 years UK

National Task Force Chair – Special Operations – 1-year term UK

National Member of UK Pipeline Security Group – 4 years UK

Regional Member Chemical Biological Radio-logical Nuclear Explosives Group - 15 years

Regional Member Tactical Coordination Group for all events impacting people, community, infrastructure, economics, and the environment - 15 years

Decorated for Outstanding Incident Management Service in 2012.

Comprehensive professional development including but not limited to: BSc Hons Tech; project management; risk assessment; emergency plan and exercise; trainer; incident mitigation measures; legislation and policy delivery; incident management development and architecture: business continuity consequence management; incident sector – civil emergency, flooding, contamination: air, land and water, forestry, industrial, economic, amenity, biodiversity, human and animal health, security sectors, and finance.

Why Red Dragon as a name?

Red Dragon or Y Ddraig Goch (in Welsh pronounced [ə ˈðraiɡ ˈɡoːχ])

The Welsh Red Dragon appears on the national flag of Wales. The red dragon itself has been associated with Wales for centuries, and as such, the flag is claimed to be the oldest national flag still in use. But why a dragon? The answer to that particular question is lost in history and myth.

The oldest recorded use of the dragon to symbolize Wales is in the Historia Brittonum, written around AD 829, but it is popularly to have been the battle standard of many different ancient Celtic leaders. It is considered that the Welsh kings of Aberffraw first adopted the dragon in the early fifth century in order to symbolize their power and authority after the Romans withdrew from Britain.

The Historia Regum Britanniae, written between 1120 and 1129, links the dragon with the Arthurian legends, including Uther Pendragon the father of Arthur whose name translates as Dragon Head. Geoffrey’s account also tells of the prophecy of Myrddin (or Merlin) of a long fight between a red dragon and a white dragon, symbolising the historical struggle between the Welsh (red dragon) and the English (white dragon).

I know modern-day "King Arthur" is fictionalized but the inspiration comes from traditional oral stories that were recorded in 12th Century literature in the Mabinogion. The Mabinogion pronunciation: [mabɪˈnɔɡjɔn] are the earliest prose stories of the literature of Britain. The stories were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions and still taught in schools across Wales.

The Red Dragon was used as a proud and ancient battle standard and it seems fitting to be used as the name for my business.

The Welsh have a rich cultural heritage in working with and respecting the people, land and the environment around them. These values are incorporated into Red Dragon Consulting as having varied perspectives, sharing experience and knowledge, help generate better ideas to solve the complex problems of a changing—and increasingly diverse—world.

Learn More

Welsh evolved from the Celtic languages spoken by the ancient Britons, and probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze or Iron Age. It was originally spoken throughout what we know as England and Wales today at these early times. These celtic tribes were the first Britons before the Saxon invasions.

The Welsh language was restricted and removed by the enactment of the Act of Union in 1536 and in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries children were punished at school if using the Welsh language.

In 1993 the Welsh Language Act was passed to provide equal validity.

I am proud to be Welsh and grateful and honoured now to call British Columbia by home.

When we meet, there will always be a sprinkle of some welsh words in our conversations and maybe in my presentations!

A great welsh moto is "Cofia Ddysgu Byw!" which means "Remember to learn how to live!"

Find out more