Events & Speakers
RIE Toronto – Monday, December 9th In person AGM and Year End SymposiumRegistration and Lunch 11:30 – 12:45
AGM and Symposium: 12:45 – 4:30
Manulife Head Office
200 Bloor Street East, Toronto
Conference Centre
Registration is now open!
This is going to be a fantastic session that you won’t want to miss! There will be a lunch to enjoy while
you network with your peers, followed by a brief AGM to start the day.
We have lined up two stellar speakers - you asked, and we listened! Artificial Intelligence and Lived
Experiences
My 40 days of the Freedom Convoy.
Presented by Eustace (Sam) Roberts, Sergeant with the Ottawa Police Force (Retired), and President of
IAEM (International Association of Emergency Managers)
AI & Investigation: Separating Fact from Fiction - Is it AI or AL, Synthia or Cynthia? You Decide!
Presented by Keith Elliot, CEO of Reed Research Investigations
Session Summaries:
AGM Highlights: An overview of 2024 and looking forward to 2025 and beyond. We have three Board
positions up for renewal, so there may be an election unless candidates are acclaimed. Did you miss the
email about the elections, and how to put your name forward? Please email
elections@toronto.drie.org. Deadline to get your name in is Friday November 22.
Session 1 - My 40 days of the Freedom Convoy
The Freedom Convoy of 2022 in Ottawa had profound repercussions on both the city's populace and the
emergency response organizations, particularly impacting emergency managers and the organization's
business continuity. Police, fire departments, paramedics, and various agencies faced exhaustion and
stress as what started as a peaceful demonstration escalated into an occupation. Outnumbered police
services struggled with maintaining business continuity amidst prolonged crises, facing extended shifts,
political dilemmas, and dwindling public trust. Confrontations with aggressive protesters and adverse
weather conditions added to the challenges. Consequently, personnel experienced heightened stress,
fatigue, and mental health issues. This event highlighted the urgent need for robust mental health
programs, emphasizing the well-being of personnel, not only within emergency response organizations
but also among emergency managers and across all sectors.
Session 2 - AI & Investigation: Separating Fact from Fiction - Is it AI or AL, Synthia or Cynthia? You
Decide!
For decades investigators have had to discern fact from fiction. As we enter a new era with the rapid
advancement of artificial intelligence our task is even more difficult. In a world full of fake accounts, fake
news, and questionable resources, investigators now need to also navigate the world of AI. Images,
resumes, documents, and background information can be created in an instant utilizing AI. The session
will explore the various platforms currently available in AI and explore can or cannot be done to identify
the legitimate information from fake, manipulated or fabricated resources and evidence.
Biographies:
Eustace (Sam) Roberts:
Eustace (Sam) Roberts is a recently retired Police Officer, from the Ottawa Police Service, with over 24 years of experience. He held the rank of Sergeant. He began his policing career with the Cornwall Police Service. During his policing career, he has worked in General Patrol, Aerial Surveillance, Tactical Response, and Forensic Identification, where he spent over half of policing his career. He is also a former commercial airline pilot and Marine Mechanical Engineer; having served in the Canadian Navy. Prior to his retirement, Sam was the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Ottawa Police Service. He has a multitude of experiences in Emergency Management including floods, tornadoes, multiple planned events, the lone-wolf terrorist attack on Parliament and the recent Freedom Convoy. He has worked on the development of the Ottawa Police response to mass fatality incidents and multiple other projects.
Sergeant Roberts Ret’d holds a Bachelor of Policing and a Master of Emergency Management where his research revolved around active attackers and active threat incidents. He is also trained in Business Continuity, Risk Management and Emergency Management Exercise Design.
Sam is also certified in Ontario as an Incident Management Instructor. He is also certified through ICS Canada as an Incident Command System Instructor.
He also facilitated the Incident Management Systems, Emergency Management Exercise Design and Hazard Identification Risk Assessment courses as part of the Algonquin College Post Graduate Emergency Management Certificate program.
Keith Elliott – CEO – Reed Research Investigations.
Keith is well known globally in the investigation industry as a premier educator and often sought out for his engaging and entertaining speaking style. He has hundreds of public speaking seminars. He is regularly asked to provide educational sessions, in-house training and operational protocol to industry partners and clients on the function and use of investigations, surveillance, cyber intelligence, and workplace investigations.
A Private Investigator since 1991, Keith is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified International Investigator (CII), and is designated as a Master Investigator, by the CPIO. He also holds an Honours Degree in Law & Security Administration, and numerous other accreditations. He is the CEO of Reed Research Investigations, based in Toronto, Ontario.
Mr. Elliott has decades of practical involvement in identifying risk and investigating frauds relating to; criminal enterprise, employment, health care, insurance services, fraudulent deaths claims, disability, cyber scams, as well as various payment platforms, on-line services and crypto scams. He has recovered funds for victims internationally, testified in precedent setting cases at all levels of both civil and criminal courts across Canada. Recently Keith and his work in these areas were featured in the W5 episode, of “The Crypto Bros”.