Emergency Management Ontario · the provincial Incident Management System (IMS). During major...

Emergency Management Ontario

Progress Report 2006-2009

EMO Progress Report 2006-2009 www.ontario.ca/emo

© Queen’s Printer for Ontario 2009 All material created in this guide is protected by Crown Copyright, which is held by the Queen’s Printer for Ontario. No materials can be reproduced or copied in part or in whole without the expressed written permission of the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

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www.ontario.ca/emo EMO Progress Report 2006-2009 3

Table of Contents

Foreword 5

Introduction 6

Part A: Organizational Overview

Program Support 8

Program Delivery 8

Operations & Analysis 9

Program Development 9

Continuity of Operations 10

Part B: Summary of Results

Goal 1 Enabling ministries, 12 municipalities in meeting the requirements of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection (EMCP) Act

Goal 2 Ensuring a coordinated and 14 effective provincial response to emergencies

Goal 3 Ensuring ministries, 20 municipalities have access to the recommended practices and tools of Ontario’s comprehensive, risk-based emergency management program

Goal 4 Making innovative 22 contributions to the advancement of emergency management

Goal 5 Building individual and 24 organizational capacity

Goal 6 Ensuring emergency 25 management programs work efficiently and effectively

Goal 7 Reflecting the diverse communities we serve and building the capacity to achieve its goals

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Goal 8 Staffing the new organization 28

Goal 9 Enhancing the disaster- resiliency of Emergency Management Ontario

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Goal 10 Working and liaising with partners on a regular basis to ensure Ontario’s safety and security

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Goal 11 Exemplify organizational effectiveness through resources, strategic direction, leadership, systems and processes, structure, culture, capability and capacity

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Goal 12 Live a strategic plan 35

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The Government of Ontario is committed to protecting the health and welfare of the public and their property by creating a province of safe, secure, disaster resilient communities.

Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) is responsible for the promotion, development, implementation and maintenance of effective emergency management programs throughout Ontario, and for the coordination of these programs with the federal government.

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Foreword A key aspect of Emergency Management Ontario’s mission involves the initiation and leveraging of the many partnerships we have with our ministry, municipal, private sector and non-governmental organization partners. These relationships are fundamental to the development and implementation of emergency management initiatives that are relevant to and maximize the resilience of the communities we serve.

EMO has undergone significant organizational change in the last three years. I believe these changes position us well to anticipate and respond to the evolving and demanding environment in which we work. As we now complete the integration of the Ontario Government Continuity of Operations Program and assume new responsibilities for emergency management within our own ministry, we are poised to meet the increasing expectations brought about by the dynamic nature of emergency management.

This report outlines EMO’s progress related to our 2006-2009 Strategic Plan. The milestones and achievements reflected below represent not only the close collaboration between our EMO staff members, but are also indicative of the incredible efforts and cooperation of our many partners in promoting a safe and secure Ontario. Guided by our ministry priorities, the plan consisted of 12 strategic goals. The achievement of these goals has laid a strong foundation for our new strategic plan, which will set our course through 2013.

Our work is your work and it is my commitment to continue down this path of disaster resiliency together.

Dan Hefkey

Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief

Emergency Management Ontario

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Introduction In 2005, EMO began a complete organizational review. Having completed the roll-out of new legislation and a core emergency management program for ministries and municipalities, the review made sure that EMO would be well-positioned to address the province’s changing risk environment and rapidly evolving international best practices and standards.

In addition to updating EMO’s mission and introducing new business practices, the review led to EMO’s first multi-year strategic plan centred on a new vision – to be “leaders and partners in ensuring that all of Ontario’s diverse communities are safe and secure.” To best achieve the goals outlined in this plan, EMO was reorganized from six sections into four. In the final year of the plan (2009), EMO assumed responsibility for the Government of Ontario Continuity of Operations Program and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Emergency Management Program. This resulted in the addition of a fifth section, which in 2010, will be integrated into EMO’s four section structure. To date, EMO’s four section structure has proven to work effectively as each section has a unique role with respect to the organization’s strategic goals.

This report is divided into two parts. Part A of this report provides further information describing the function and contribution of each section. Part B provides details of EMO’s activities and initiatives related to each of the 12 goals within our 2006-2009 Strategic Plan.

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Part A Organizational Overview EMO is structured into five functioning sections: Program Support, Program Delivery, Operations & Analysis, Program Development and Continuity of Operations. While each section has their own mandate, the collective goal of the organization is to build a disaster resilient Ontario.


Part a: OrganizatiOnal Overview

PROGRAm SuPPORt

Headed by a Deputy Chief and supported by two Program Managers and a staff of nine, the section’s complement includes a Strategic Planning and Review Advisor, an Interoperability Officer, finance and human resources staff and logistics specialists.

The Program Support section delivers key underpinning services to EMO including strategic planning, business services, strategic financial analysis, information and information technology services, Interoperability Program, Supply Chain and Logistics Coordination Alliance management, the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) logistics section as well as selected federal programs such as the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP).

PROGRAm DELIVERY

Led by a Deputy Chief, the section includes 14 Field Officers and two Program Managers deployed to strategic locations across the province. They provide guidance and assistance to Ontario municipalities as they implement the mandatory programs required under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Working in both French and English, Field Officers meet with community officials on an ongoing basis to review plans, assist with local training and to evaluate emergency exercises. Working with the training unit, the section also conducts workshops and EMO training programs to help municipal officials better understand their emergency mandates.

In their emergency response role, Field Officers may be deployed to communities during actual emergencies to provide advice to municipal officials and to coordinate provincial assistance from other ministries. As the section responsible for diversity and liaison, two officers are dedicated to managing and fostering municipal, non-governmental and ministry relationships as well as conducting community outreach initiatives to people with disabilities, special needs, First Nations and other diverse communities.

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OPERAtIONS & ANALYSIS

Led by a Deputy Chief, this section consists of two units, an Operations unit and an Analysis unit, each of which is led by a Program Manager.

Operations is responsible for around the clock operation of the PEOC and maintaining the operational readiness of an alternate (A/PEOC) facility. This includes the operation of the 24/7 Duty Office, the provision of emergency information products to PEOC partner ministries, communities and organizations, the coordination of the provincial response to emergencies and significant events in Ontario, and the development and implementation of processes and procedures in the PEOC.

Analysis has a two-fold responsibility: to provide independent, situational awareness to Operations day-to-day and during emergencies, and to support the implementation of the provincial emergency management model which is prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery. The team includes five specialized functions, namely scientific, critical infrastructure, hazard identification and risk assessment (HIRA), geographic and threat assessment.

PROGRAm DEVELOPmENt

The Program Development section, led by a Deputy Chief, was formed in 2007 as a result of the EMO reorganization. Bringing together three former sections (Training and Education, Program Development and Standards, and Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness), this section works closely with a wide variety of partners to support community and ministry emergency management programs, build provincial response capacity and encourage societal resiliency. Its specific core functions include stakeholder training, staff development, public education and outreach, the provincial exercise program, provincial emergency planning, nuclear emergency management and the development of provincial emergency management programs (doctrine, standards, guidelines, tools, templates, etc.) In addition, the section engages in a variety of special projects, such as the development of the provincial Incident Management System (IMS).

During major incidents, the section can be called upon to establish the PEOC Planning Section, while also providing staff in support of the PEOC’s Operations and Information functions.

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CONtINuItY OF OPERAtIONS

On January 12th, 2009, the responsibility for leading the Ontario Public Service (OPS) Continuity of Operations Program was transferred to EMO from the Ministry of Government Services (MGS). The OPS Continuity of Operations Program (COOP) is part of the larger OPS Emergency Management Program under which ministries develop plans to ensure that critical government services continue to be available to the public during emergencies.

The transfer occurred to ensure that both emergency management and continuity of operations programming were developed in an integrated manner to ensure an effective and efficient response in the event of any emergency. EMO is now responsible for establishing requirements for Ministry COOP plans, providing training and assistance to ministries to support the development and exercising of their COOP plans, evaluating Ministry plans, and coordinating the OPS response to emergencies affecting critical government services.

At the same time, responsibility for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) Continuity of Operations Program and six emergency response plans were also transferred to EMO. As a result, EMO is now responsible for the continuity of operations plans for all of MCSCS’s 430 Business Units. These plans ensure that critical government services including policing, forensics, correctional, and public safety services continue to be delivered during emergencies.

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Part B Summary of Results Organized around the 12 strategic goals of our 2006-2009 strategic plan, this part of the report reflects the activities and specific results achieved in support of each goal.


Goal 1

Enabling ministries, municipalities in meeting the requirements of the Emergency management and Civil Protection (EmCP) Act

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EmO Courses Offered 140

# o

f C

lass

es 81 90

133

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Fiscal Year

training Participants 3000

1697 1620

2640

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09

2500

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arti

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ants

2000

1500

1000

500

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Fiscal Year

gOal 1: enabling ministries, municiPalities in meeting the requirements Of

the emergency management and civil PrOtectiOn (emcP) act

DEVELOPED A NEw StRAtEGY tO SuPPORt muNICIPAL COmPLIANCE with the Act, including the implementation of an action plan and progress monitoring. Compliance status reports were submitted on a regular basis and follow-up correspondence was sent to municipalities who had been identified by field staff as potentially not achieving compliance based on the status of elements remaining to be completed. Collaborative efforts were made to engage neighbouring municipalities in training and exercises as a means of working together and to assist them in achieving their annual requirements especially during hard economic times with competing budget dollars. Overall compliance achieved improved from 74 percent in 2006, to 98 percent in 2007 and 98.2 percent in 2008.

INStItutED CLIENt ENGAGEmENt PERFORmANCE mEASuRES which are now tracked through an annual survey.

LAuNChED EmO’S FIRSt tRAINING CAtALOGuE and the provincial Emergency Management Training Portal (both are accessible by going to ontario.ca/emo and clicking on “training” under “topics”). These initiatives allow clients to more easily identify and register for training opportunities.

COmPLEtED A COmPREhENSIVE REVIEw OF thE COmmuNItY EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt COORDINAtOR (CEmC) COuRSE. The new course is shorter and more fully integrated with the overall curriculum.

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Goal 2

Ensuring a coordinated and effective provincial response to emergencies

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gOal 2: ensuring a cOOrdinated and effective

PrOvincial resPOnse tO emergencies

EmO OPERAtED thE PEOC DutY OFFICE ON A 24/7 BASIS, monitoring and responding to 88 declared community emergencies and 373 significant events (April 1, 2006 - March 31, 2009).

DuRING thIS PERIOD, FIELD DEPLOYmENtS wERE POSItIONED for 42 declared emergencies and 139 significant events.

PEOC Fiscal Year Statistics April 01, 2006 - March 31, 2009

Declared Emergencies hAzARD IDENtIFICAtION APR 06 - APR 07 - APR 08 - RISk ASSESSmENt (hIRA) mAR 07 mAR 08 mAR 09

Building / Structural Collapse 1

Critical Infrastructure Failure 1

Energy Emergencies 2

Explosions / Fires 3 1

Floods 7 1 37

Forest Fires 10 2

Hazardous Materials Fixed Site Incident 2 1

Human Health Emergencies and Epidemics 1

Ice / Sleet Storms 2

Snowstorms / Blizzards 2

Tornadoes 1 1

Water Emergencies 4 1

Windstorms 7 1

totals 38 8 42

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Significant Events hIRA (hAzARD) CAtEGORY APR 06 -

mAR 07 APR 07 - mAR 08

APR 08 - mAR 09

Civil Disorders 7 4 7

Critical Infrastructure Failures 1 6 19

Earthquakes 2 3 4

Explosions/Fires 11 16 24

Floods 2 11 28

Hazardous Materials – Fixed Site Incident 19 10 15

Hazardous Materials – Transportation Incident 9 11 9

Human Health Emergencies and Epidemics 1 7 4

Ice / Sleet Storms 1 1 1

Nuclear Facility Emergencies 5 8 8

Petroleum/Gas Pipeline Emergencies 5 7 15

Radiological 1

Snowstorms/Blizzards 1 4 5

Space Object Crash 2 1 2

Special Events 2 2 1

Terrorism 3 1 5

Tornadoes 1 2 2

Transportation Accidents 7 17 21

War / International Emergencies 1

Water Emergencies 4 2 5

totals 83 113 177

wIth thE SuPPORt AND INPut OF OVER 30 ORGANIzAtIONS, published a doctrine outlining the use of the Incident Management System (IMS) in Ontario. This project provides a standardized response approach for emergencies occurring within the province and ensures greater interoperability with neighbouring jurisdictions. The doctrine, along with various supporting documents (e.g., FAQ, briefing materials), is available at www.ontario.ca/ims.

LAuNChED thREE ONtARIO-SPECIFIC ImS COuRSES, consistent with the training strategy developed by a multi-disciplinary working group.

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CREAtED thE SuPPLY ChAIN AND LOGIStICS COORDINAtION ALLIANCE that includes experts from EMO, private sector firms and organizations and federal departments such as Public Safety Canada and the Department of National Defence. Alliance members work together to coordinate the purchase, transport and distribution of items necessary to ensure the well-being of Ontarians during a disaster. In a disaster, private sector representatives join public sector officials at the PEOC to provide technical advice on procurement and distribution issues and reach out to private firms to assist with emergency acquisition, transportation and distribution of essential goods and products.

thE JOINt EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt StEERING (JEmS) COmmIttEE developed a new set of standards for the conduct of First Nation evacuations. The standards are applicable to all evacuees, regardless of origin and are applied by all host communities accordingly.

PROCuRED A mOBILE EmERGENCY OPERAtIONS CENtRE for Ontario (Mobile1). Mobile 1 was designed to be used to coordinate provincial response and to support communities during major incidents, emergencies and special events. The vehicle was transferred to the Ontario Provincial Police in fall 2008 and remains available for provincial deployment as a ministry asset.

After an extensive consultation with partners and stakeholders, the PROVINCIAL NuCLEAR EmERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN (PNERP) wAS uPDAtED AND APPROVED IN FEBRuARY 2009. The PNERP provides Ontario’s ability

to respond to nuclear emergencies and better protect the health, safety and welfare and property of Ontarians. Enhancements to the 2009 PNERP include broader alerting coverage (the plan increases the requirement for public alerting from a 3 km radius around nuclear facilities to 10 km), enhanced evacuation planning to facilitate a more effective and efficient evacuation of densely populated areas, and by making Potassium Iodide (KI) pills easier to obtain for those living up to 10 km from a nuclear facility.

thE PROVINCIAL EmERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN (PERP) wAS REVIEwED AND

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uPDAtED in 2007, receiving approval in February 2008. The PERP provides overall direction and coordination for any emergency in Ontario.

To prepare for a potential foreign animal disease in the province, EmO wAS A CO-SIGNAtORY tO thE FOREIGN ANImAL DISEASE EmERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is the provincial lead and provides support to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency who has the jurisdictional lead. The plan was updated and signed by all three parties in July 2008.

CO-LED ExERCISE tRILLIum RESPONSE 2008 with the Department of National Defence. Trillium Response 2008 was a full scale field exercise to test Ontario’s overall ability to respond to a large-scale disaster in northwestern Ontario. The exercise was the largest in Ontario’s recent history and involved more than 2000 participants representing 40 organizations. It reinforced the vital role that all of Ontario’s diverse emergency management stakeholders would play in a disaster. Significant contributions were made by municipalities, ministries, federal departments, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance and the Salvation Army.

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LED ExERCISE ANtIVIRuS 2008 which focused on the OPS response to an influenza pandemic. It tested the Provincial Coordination Plan for an Influenza Pandemic, Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic, Provincial Emergency Response Plan, ministries’ Continuity of Operations plans and important linkages between ministries.

ImPLEmENtED thE PROVINCIAL NuCLEAR ExERCISE PROGRAm, including the organization of exercises Bruce 2007 and Chalk River 2006. The program involved participation from ministries, utility companies, federal departments, and affected municipalities.

CONtINuED tO FOCuS ON thE StRENGthS OF thE ONtARIO CRItICAL INFRAStRuCtuRE ASSuRANCE PROGRAm (OCIAP); geared to build awareness of dependencies and interdependencies of networks, services, systems and processes in both the public and private sectors. The program is structured around nine critical infrastructure sectors: continuity of government, telecommunications, oil and gas, electricity, food and water, financial, transportation, public safety and security, and health. Over this past year, the program included numerous intra and inter sector meetings, updates to plans and an annual workshop and conference, both designed to raise awareness through presentations and discussions.

INItIAtED thE DEVELOPmENt OF A NEw PROVINCIAL hAzARD IDENtIFICAtION AND RISk ASSESSmENt (hIRA) mEthODOLOGY and an updated provincial HIRA. When complete, the assessment will be shared with emergency management professionals across the province and will assist with the setting of provincial emergency management program priorities. A visual display was presented at the Annual Hazards Workshop in order to introduce the new Ontario Provincial HIRA methodology to the international emergency management community.

DEVELOPED AND ShARED wIth ALL FIRSt NAtIONS’ ChIEFS IN ONtARIO an easy-to-use Emergency Response Plan template including key contact information and the ability to be tailored to specific needs.

CONDuCtED FIVE REGIONAL wORkShOPS FOR muNICIPALItIES that are hosts for First Nations evacuees. The aim was to familiarize them with roles and responsibilities and to provide First Nations sensitivity training to aid in a smooth response during emergencies.

DEVELOPED AN EmERGENCY OPERAtIONS CENtRE wORkShOP for municipalities to learn about effective operations during emergencies.

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Goal 3

Ensuring ministries, municipalities have access to the recommended practices and tools of Ontario’s comprehensive, risk-based emergency management program

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gOal 3: ensuring ministries, municiPalities have access tO the recOmmended

Practices and tOOls Of OntariO’s cOmPrehensive, risk-based emergency

management PrOgram

IN 2008, EmO CONSuLtED wIth mINIStRY EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt COORDINAtORS (mEmC) AND COmmuNItY EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt COORDINAtORS (CEmC) to jointly determine the future direction and priorities of Ontario’s emergency management programs. Detailed consultation reports were developed and presented. The results of this process will now assist in shaping EMO’s next strategic plan and will lead to a variety of proposals for strengthening the tools available to coordinators in support of their programs.

N 2007 AND 2008 EmO hOStED PROVINCIAL EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt CONFERENCES with over 100 emergency management coordinators in attendance. The conferences provided an opportunity to gain practical insights from Ontario-based emergency management practitioners, participate in workshops exploring current emergency management challenges and exchange information.

AN ANImAL EmERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN tEmPLAtE wAS DEVELOPED AND DIStRIButED to municipalities to assist them in adding policies and procedures to their response plans for dealing with animals in emergencies.

FORmED thE PROVINCIAL EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt Coordinating Committee as an advisory group to the Chief. Membership includes ministries and municipalities and the committee meets regularly to discuss current and forward looking issues in provincial emergency management.

CONDuCtED A REVIEw OF COmmIttEE AND wORkING GROuP StRuCtuRES and realigned these to create greater efficiencies and opportunities for engagement.

BEGAN thE PRACtICE OF CREAtING SuBJECt mAttER/CLIENt wORkING GROuPS to develop all new products (e.g., guidelines, courses, etc.).

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Goal 4

making innovative contributions to the advancement of emergency management

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gOal 4: making innOvative cOntributiOns tO the advancement

Of emergency management

thE DESIGN, DEVELOPmENt AND ImPLEmENtAtION OF thE AutOmAtED JOINt EmERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAm (JEPP) APPLICAtION PROCESS was completed in August 2007. Applications can now be submitted online. EMO demonstrates leadership in the field of public safety with a unique bilingual website to administer the submission and processing of federal grant applications for emergency preparedness projects from municipalities, First Nations communities and provincial ministries.

AS PARt OF thE NAtIONAL EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt tRAINING COmmIttEE, EMO has worked with the Canadian Emergency Management College to lead the development of a common two-course Exercise Curriculum for use across Canada. The courses are available at www.ontario.ca/emo (click on “Training”).

SERVED AS A mEmBER OF thE CANADIAN StANDARDS ASSOCIAtION (CSA) z1600 tEChNICAL COmmIttEE. The committee developed the CSA Z1600 Standard on Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs which was launched in October 2008.

EmO IS A mEmBER OF thE NAtIONAL FIRE PROtECtION ASSOCIAtION (NFPA) 1600 Technical Committee which developed the NFPA 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs. The NFPA 1600 standard has been endorsed by the 9/11 Commission and adopted as a recommended practice by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The revision and finalization of the 2010 version of the NFPA 1600 standard is well underway.

PuBLIShED AN uPDAtED EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt (Em) DOCtRINE for Ontario which establishes the fundamental principles and concepts for emergency management. The Doctrine encompasses the five pillars of emergency management: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. The separation of prevention and mitigation as pillars of emergency management is unique to Ontario and has now been reflected in both American and Canadian standards.

PROmOtED thE DEVELOPmENt OF EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt AS A PROFESSION by working with colleges and universities across the province to develop six emergency management diplomas/certificates/degrees.

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Goal 5

Building individual and organizational capacity

ENhANCED OuR RECRuItmENt AND hIRING PROCESSES by posting job vacancies for external competitions, offering candidate information sessions, and by enhancing competition testing and evaluation processes.

DEVELOPED LEARNING AND PERFORmANCE PLANS for all EMO staff.

kNOwLEDGE tRANSFER PLANS wERE DEVELOPED by all sections to ensure continuity of procedures and protocols in relation to key roles and responsibilities.


Goal 6

Ensuring emergency management programs work efficiently and effectively

CONSOLIDAtED COSt CENtRES across the organization for more efficient oversight and use of resources.

ONGOING EFFORt tO StREAm BuDGEtING and forecast processes.

DEVELOPmENt OF mONItORING AND EVALuAtION FRAmEwORk tagged to the Business Unit’s Strategic Plan to gauge progress and achievement of results.

uSE OF StAFF DEVELOPmENt SESSIONS AND tOwN hALLS to communicate and share important organizational matters.

COmPLEtED It/COmPutER REFRESh ExERCISE and identified various efficiencies.

ACquIRED NEw hIGhER EFFICIENt SERVERS to replace older ones resulting in cost savings.

Goal 7

Reflecting the diverse communities we serve and building the capacity to achieve its goals


Goal 7

Reflecting the diverse communities we serve and building the capacity to achieve its goals

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gOal 7: reflecting the diverse cOmmunities we serve

and building the caPacity tO achieve its gOals

DEVELOPED AN EmERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GuIDE FOR PEOPLE wIth DISABILItIES/SPECIAL NEEDS, in partnership with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario to provide emergency preparedness considerations and advice to Ontarians with visible and non-visible disabilities and/or special needs, including seniors with special needs. The guide is available in English, French, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish and Braille.

SuPPORtED FIRSt NAtIONS BY PROVIDING PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE assistance. Pre-positioned Field Officers along the James Bay coast to monitor and report on spring break-up. The cycle began mid-March 2007 deploying two Field Officers weekly through to the actual evacuation of the coastal communities. While there, Field Officers reviewed emergency response plans and provided First Nations Basic Emergency Management (BEM) training to emergency preparedness officers. Field Officers also conducted leadership and preparedness workshops to the communities resulting in better awareness, preparedness, response and recovery from emergency situations.

BuLLEtINS StAtING kEY INFORmAtION about Ontario government initiatives during First Nation emergencies were distributed at evacuation centres housing the evacuees, and were translated into Cree.

uPDAtED OuR EmERGENCY SuRVIVAL kIt VIDEO to include ASL (American Sign Language) and LSQ (Langue des Signes Québécoise) translations. These new versions are available on the EMO website and were highlighted in various trade publications and newsletters.

IN 2008, EmO BEGAN PARtICIPAtING IN A PROGRAm tO ADOPt AND tRAIN DOGS for eventual employment as guide dogs for people with disabilities/ special needs. The program promotes a barrier-free workplace through the integration of the animals within Emergency Management Ontario’s normal office environment.

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Goal 8

Staffing the new organization

DEVELOPED A ‘CAREERS’ SECtION ON thE EmO wEBSItE to clearly outline opportunities and EMO’s hiring process.

PROVIDED EmO StAFF wIth RESumE wRItING AND INtERVIEwING SkILLS training to prepare for job competitions.

CONDuCtED COmPEtItIONS to fill positions created through the EMO reorganization process.

IN JANuARY 2009, thE CONtINuItY OF OPERAtIONS SECtION wAS FORmED from staff previously working for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Emergency Management Program and the Ministry of Government Services’ Emergency Management and Security Branch.


Goal 9

Enhancing the disaster-resiliency of EmO

EmO ANNuALLY REVIEwS, tEStS AND uPDAtES its Continuity of Operations Plan to ensure its core critical services will be maintained at an adequate level in the event of an emergency impacting operations at headquarters.

wORk CONtINuES ON uPDAtING thE PEOC StANDARD OPERAtING PROCEDuRES and maintaining a viable alternate PEOC. This was enhanced by additional training of Operations staff, Duty Officers and Duty Operations Chiefs. In addition, a suitable alternate PEOC was established.


Goal 10

working and liaising with partners on a regular basis to ensure Ontario’s safety and security

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gOal 10: wOrking and liaising with Partners On a regular basis

tO ensure OntariO’s safety and security

EmO REGuLARLY CONtRIButED tO thE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-tERRItORIAL (FPt) COmmIttEES including the Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management, Deputy Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management, and Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management (SOREM). These three cooperative committees, representing all provinces/territories and the federal government, provide strategic advice and decision making authority for the future of emergency management in Canada. Specific achievements of these committees and their subgroups included the approval of a common emergency management doctrine for Canada, a five-year emergency management training strategy, the National Disaster Mitigation Strategy, a critical infrastructure assurance strategy, an outreach and public education strategy, the National Emergency Response System (NERS), and common standards for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) response.

thE PROVINCIAL EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt COORDINAtING COmmIttEE (PEMCC) meets quarterly and is comprised of ministry and municipal representatives who support the Chief by providing advice on evolving emergency management trends. This is key to maintaining the relevancy and effectiveness of our programs.

thE EmERGENCY mANAGEmENt DOCtRINE AND StANDARDS COmmIttEE (EMDSC) is comprised of emergency management professionals from government and non-governmental organizations who provide their time and expertise to assist EMO in developing the doctrine. The group meets two to four times a year.

AS AN ANNuAL FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-tERRItORIAL INItIAtIVE, EmERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (EP) wEEk occurs each May to increase awareness about emergency preparedness. Ontario’s EP Week efforts are coordinated in close cooperation with ministries, municipalities, First Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector. EP Week participation in Ontario has risen from 24 percent in 2004 to over 70 percent in 2009.

IN 2008, thE PROVINCIAL ANImAL wELFARE wORkING GROuP ON ANImALS IN EmERGENCIES (PAwS) GROuP wAS FORmED and tasked with developing a provincial strategy to deal with animals in emergencies, support the inclusion of animal emergency planning at the personal, local and provincial levels and develop procedures and identify resources to respond to an emergency affecting animals in Ontario. The PAWs Group includes representatives from the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association and the Canadian Red Cross as well as provincial ministries (Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Ministry of Transportation).

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DEVELOPED StRONGER RELAtIONShIPS wIth mEDIA to maximize the emergency preparedness message. Mainstream and ethnic media partners have been regularly engaged leading to a ten-fold increase in coverage since 2005.

IN 2008, EmO wORkED wIth YOuth organizations, illustrators and subject matter experts to develop two emergency preparedness mascots. The chosen mascots, a male and female squirrel, are designed to be relatable to youth and inspire confidence by providing clear and easy-to-follow emergency preparedness advice. Through the use of approachable and identifiable mascots, EMO aims to encourage long-term behaviour change and build confidence in youth with respect to actions they can take to make themselves and their families safer and more comfortable during an emergency.

tO mARk thE INtERNAtIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE wIth DISABILItIES and to generate discussion on emergency preparedness for people with special needs/disabilities, then Commissioner of Community Safety Jay C. Hope hosted a special forum on December 3, 2007. The event, opened with remarks by The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario the Honourable David C. Onley, included 12 workshops and culminated in numerous suggestions for the enhancement of emergency management programs in Ontario. A subsequent workshop was held in 2008 and led to further progress in ensuring all Ontarians are included in emergency management. As a venue to share skills, ideas and expertise, the 2008 forum further examined the dynamics of ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status and language barriers among first generation immigrants in a crisis situation.

IN mAY 2006, PREmIER DALtON mCGuINtY LAuNChED an Emergency Preparedness Challenge for Girl Guides. The program was developed in partnership with Girl Guides of Canada – Ontario Council, Environment Canada, the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal, and the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Challenge helps Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and Senior Branches

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develop new emergency preparedness skills, and gain a better understanding of the role emergency partners play during an emergency. EMO received an Amethyst Award, the highest honour given by the Ontario Public Service, for its efforts to establish this partnership.

LAuNChED thE EmERGENCY VISuALIzAtION APPLICAtION (EVA) in 2007. This web-based custom software application is designed to improve situational awareness, operational capacity and coordination in all phases of emergency management by providing a single, interactive operational view within a collaborative workspace. Emergency management officials access EVA by using an Internet connection and a common Internet browser. In real time, EVA combines geospatial information with data from external sources to create maps of areas of interest. Users can view, mark up, query, share and collaborate using these maps in a secure environment.

REVISED EmERGENCY INFORmAtION PRODuCtS issued by the PEOC to now include: Emergency Information Notes, Situation Reports and Daily Consolidated Situation Reports. These reports cover emerging, ongoing and consolidated situations as required.

wIth PELmOREx COmmuNICAtIONS (thE wEAthER NEtwORk) and Communications Laboratories Inc. (Comlabs), launched a joint pilot project to develop and test advanced public warning capabilities across Ontario. The program became a key aspect of the province’s new Red Alert System which has been developed in cooperation with the Ontario Association of Broadcasters.

DEVELOPED A VARIEtY OF NEw OutREACh PRODuCtS, including posters, children’s products and videos. Of special note was an emergency preparedness video featuring Minister Bartolucci. The video is now available in five formats, including American Sign Language. The video is posted at www.ontario.ca/beprepared.

LAuNChED A NEw EmO wEBSItE in May 2008. Since the launch, the site has served more than 100,000 unique visitors and offers a “one-stop-shop” for personal preparedness, emergency bulletins and emergency management program resources. The site features e-mail alerts, an inquiries page, flash banners and content in seven languages.

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www.ontario.ca/beprepared


Goal 11

Exemplify organizational effectiveness through resources, strategic direction, leadership, systems and processes, structure, culture, capability and capacity

DEvElopED procEDurEs for strEamlininG activitiEs, such as fleet management.

EstablishED a corE chanGE tEam to manage the integration of the Continuity of Operations Program (COOP) into EMO.

convEnED an opErational rEaDinEss tEam to implement recommendations from an earlier organizational study.


Goal 12

Live a strategic plan

INCORPORAtED thE 2006-2009 StRAtEGIC plan into section operational plans.

hIRED AN OFFICER tO ENhANCE StRAtEGIC PLANNING PROCESSES within EMO and implemented a new strategic planning process branch-wide.

DEVELOPED thE 2009-2013 EmO StRAtEGIC PLAN FRAmEwORk. A companion monitoring and evaluation (M & E) framework is being prepared to better determine progress towards achieving the organization’s mission and vision.

LINkED StRAtEGIC PLAN OutCOmES ExtERNALLY to the Ministry’s Strategic Goals and internally to manager and staff performance plans.


Emergency Management Ontario’s 2006-2009 Strategic Plan laid out an ambitious agenda to embark on a new phase of emergency management programming. It built on considerable progress made at all levels of emergency management following 9/11.

Over the last three years, EMO has worked collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver on our commitments. We look forward to working closely with all of our partners, as we launch our 2009-2013 Strategic Plan. We continue to aim to be leaders and partners in ensuring that all of Ontario’s diverse communities are safe and secure.

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Emergency Management Ontario · the provincial Incident Management System (IMS). During major...

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