Transition Binder: Emergency Management and Programs Branch Overview

Branch Background

Pursuant to the Emergency Management Act (EMA), Public Safety Canada (PS) has the legislative mandate to build a safe and resilient Canada by providing national leadership in emergency management (EM) in the development and implementation of policies, plans and a range of programs.

The Emergency Management and Programs Branch (EMPB) supports this mandate by working with other federal departments and agencies, provinces and territories (PTs), national and regional Indigenous organizations, international partners, as well as other stakeholders, to advance an integrated policy, programmatic, and coordinated approach across the four components of EM:

• prevention and mitigation of disasters and their impacts
• preparedness (e.g., training, exercises and planning)
• response to incidents; and
• recovery (to rebuild infrastructure and communities in order to reduce vulnerability to future hazards)

EMPB, with approximately 540 employees, is composed of three directorates:

1. Policy and Outreach Directorate (POD)
2. Programs Directorate which includes the Regional Offices
3. Government Operations Centre (GOC), including the Federal EM Modernization Project

In addition, the Branch also includes the Department's regional offices located across Canada. With EMPB's presence in 15 locations (three in the NCR, plus one or more in each province and one in the Northwest Territories), regional offices serve as the primary point of contact for the Department at the regional level and play an important role in building and maintaining partnerships for EM operations and in supporting communities through program delivery.

Key Files and Responsibilities

EM is a core responsibility of the Government of Canada and a collective responsibility of all federal government institutions. The federal government has statutory responsibilities for coordinating EM activities among government institutions and in cooperation with the provinces, territories and other entities. As disasters in Canada continue to increase in frequency, severity and costs, the leadership role that PS plays in Canada's EM system is becoming increasingly important in order to ensure a whole-of-society approach to strengthening Canada's response and resilience.

In December 2021, the Prime Minister mandated the President of the King's Privy Council and Minister of Emergency Preparedness to exercise leadership and coordinate efforts to strengthen emergency management in Canada, ensuring a strategic, integrated and proactive approach across all hazards, including public health emergencies. The Minister works closely with provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous partners to take strong action to prepare for future emergencies, including extreme weather events caused by climate change, with a focus on proactive prevention/mitigation efforts and ensuring robust response and recovery capabilities.

Policy and Outreach Directorate

POD is responsible for enhancing the resiliency across Canada's EM system. This includes leading the policy and program development function for the range of EM responsibilities under the EMA: prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery through developing, coordinating and enacting interdisciplinary policies and programs to reduce disaster risk for Canadians.

Guided by the Emergency Management Framework for Canada (2017) and in collaboration with PTs, in 2019, the Directorate led the publication of the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030. The strategy is a collaborative, whole-of-society roadmap to strengthening Canada's ability to assess risk, prevent and mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. Furthermore, it identifies federal, provincial and territorial priorities that will strengthen Canada's resilience by 2030.

Other key initiatives underway include:

• Developing a Canada-wide Flood Risk Awareness Portal, which will provide Canadians with the best available flood risk mapping and modelling outputs, as well as resources and suggestions on how best to protect their homes and communities
• Engaging with strategic international partners, including the Five-Eyes countries, and with international institutions to advance strategic priorities by leveraging knowledge and best practices. Examples include: developing bilateral arrangements; strengthening cross-border resilience with the US Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and the Emergency Management Consultative Group; advancing other key multilateral partnerships, including the Resilience Emergency Management 5, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Committee on Resilience, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the G20
• Comprehensive engagement with domestic partners, including provinces, territories, and indigenous leadership. Examples include: leading the Senior Officials Responsible for Emergency Management and coordinating the annual meeting of Ministers responsible for emergency management FPT meeting; leading the Indigenous Emergency Management Working Group
• Exploring options for a low-cost national flood insurance and potential relocation program to better protect homeowners at high risk of flooding, and without adequate insurance protection
• Reviewing the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangement (DFAA), concluded in Fall 2022. The DFAA provides significant financial assistance to PTs in the event of large-scale natural disasters when response and recovery costs exceed thresholds specific to each province and territory. Facing significant rising costs and impacts of disasters in recent years, PS undertook a review of the DFAA to ensure the program can remain an effective, comprehensive system available to PTs for disaster recovery and to support the safety and well-being of Canadians
• Capacity building, readiness and deployments in the provision of humanitarian support for Canadians, in response to COVID-19 and other large-scale emergencies and disasters in Canada, such as wildfires and floods. This includes funding the Canadian Red Cross and other NGOs through the Humanitarian Workforce Program
• Coordinating nationally Canada's search and rescue (SAR) system and supports Canada's participation in the international COSPAS-SARSAT program, including national SAR initiatives (e.g., Northern and Arctic SAR, SAR prevention, data collection and analysis, support of SAR volunteers), and the development of Canada's National Heavy Urban SAR (HUSAR) program in alignment with the UN's International Urban SAR Working Group
• Working with partners in monitoring the implementation of the Post-Traumatic Stress Injuries Action Plan for PS officers
• Developing and publishing results from a National Risk Profile that will enhance our understanding of disaster risks and the capabilities needed to build collective resilience to disasters
• Implementing the National Adaptation Strategy that establishes a shared vision for climate resilience in Canada, key priorities for collaboration, and a framework for measuring progress at the national level; advancing national SAR initiatives in Canada
• Leading policy and program development with respect to interoperable emergency communications, such as continuing to strengthen the National Public Alerting System and building a PS Broadband Network

In addition, through outreach and engagement activities, EMPB fosters relationships with key partners, including other federal departments and agencies, PTs, municipalities, Indigenous communities, academia, volunteer sector, private sector and civil societies, to raise awareness, promote a common approach, and strengthen the emergency management system.

Programs Directorate

The Programs Directorate, including offices in its five administrative regions and the NCR, is responsible for administering and delivering 27 grants and contributions programs related to community safety and emergency management. In addition to working collaboratively within EMPB, the Programs Directorate works with the Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch, the Crime Prevention Branch, the Firearms Branch (to deliver Phase 2 of the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program), and the National and Cyber Security Branch in providing input to relevant policy initiatives, programs development and priority setting. In 2024-25, the Directorate is managing over $1.7B in grants and contributions.

In the last fiscal year (2023-24), the Directorate delivered 541 new agreements (861 active agreements; including 75 amendments), with 890 payments processed for approximately $885.7M under programs such as the DFAA ($539.5M), Memorial Grant Program for First Responders ($46.8M), the Crime Prevention Action Fund ($22.7M), and the Security Infrastructure Program/Canada Community Security Program ($11.1M; including ESIP).

A key initiative for the Directorate in 2024-25 is the modernization and improvement of program delivery and administration by implementing a risk-based model with a view to equip and empower regions with enhanced responsibilities and accountabilities.

Also part of the Programs Directorate responsibility is to perform independent audits of program files such as DFAA and to oversee the audit process for the Departmental Recipient 3-year Audit Plan. The Directorate also provides data analytics and reporting to support evidence-based decisions and policy making and in response to departmental or corporate needs.

In addition, in support of the GOC's mandate and as outlined in the FERP, the regional offices are also responsible for the coordination of the federal response to events and the liaison with provincial and territorial counterparts in their respective regions. They also undertake preparedness activities by leading or participating in plans, exercises, trainings, partnerships and awareness initiatives.

Government Operations Centre

GOC provides national EM response by coordinating the federal response to events, and advances pre-event preparedness through EM planning, exercises and monitoring activities. The EMA (2007) gives the Minister of PS responsibility for exercising leadership relating to EM in Canada by coordinating, among government institutions and in cooperation with the PTs and other entities, EM activities.

The GOC provides leadership for integrated federal emergency response to all-hazards events (potential or actual, natural or human-induced, accidental or intentional) of national interest. It will convene, collaborate, coordinate and communicate a federal response, including response to requests for federal assistance (RFAs), to allow lead departments to focus on fulfilling their mandates. While situated within EMPB, the GOC operates on behalf of the Government of Canada, and is an asset for the entire federal government. This includes support to the Minister of Emergency Preparedness in coordinating the federal response to PT RFAs to address local or regional emergencies, including PT requests for federal assistance to law enforcement agencies (ALEA). Specifically, the GOC provides 24/7 watch services (monitoring and reporting), national-level situational awareness, warning products and integrated risk assessments, as well as national-level planning and whole-of-government response management. As of 2024, the GOC holds a national public alerting capability when specific circumstances would require it.

The GOC is implicated in two pillars of emergency management; preparedness and response.

The GOC supports preparedness for events in the following areas:

• EM planning
• Policy development related to EM
• Development of cyclical and event specific risk assessments
• Coordinating and communicating with PTs on cyclical risk assessments for all hazards
• EM exercising
• Hazard monitoring and warning
• Leading lessons learned activities including hotwashes and after-action reports
• Technical briefings on preparedness activities, cyclical hazards, and lessons learned

The GOC supports response to events in the following areas:

• Activation of Crisis Cell governance tables
• Response coordination of federal departments and the Canadian Forces
• Processing RFAs
• Providing situational awareness and assessments to relevant decision makers as events evolve
• Hazard and risk assessment
• Critical infrastructure impact analysis
• Geospatial support
• Operational communications between emergency operations centres
• Issue national alerts under specific circumstances

The GOC provides coordination support and situational awareness for an integrated whole-of-government response when:

• A PT requests federal support to deal with an event that affects national interest
• An event affects multiple jurisdictions and/or government institutions and requires a coordinated response as it falls outside of routine operations
• An event directly involves federal assets, services, employees, statutory authority or responsibilities; or
• An event affects confidence in the government or other aspects of the national interest

The GOC priorities with respect to the Ministerial Mandate Letter Commitments includes providing updates to Prime Minister and Cabinet on preparedness and response across all hazards, and to improve EM and enhance federal readiness through comprehensive exercises, the renewal of the Federal Emergency Response Plan (FERP), proactively mitigating and responding to emerging incidents and hazards, and by assessing EM capabilities and enhancing mitigation, preparedness and response efforts.

The GOC is one of the key leaders and federal capacities under the FERP. It was renewed and rebranded as the FERP Framework in Fall 2024. The intent is to have this version of the document publicly available as of January 2025. The FERP is a minister level policy framework aligned on the EMA to which federal plans focused on operationalization of the framework are annexed. It defines federal ministers and senior officials roles and responsibilities for EM preparedness and response. It lays out how other departments have EM responsibilities within their policy and legal mandate areas, where they are the lead department. The GOC can also provide generalized or specialized assistance to a lead department in response to an emergency.

Each year, in consultation with Federal and PT partners and scientifically-focused departments, the GOC completes risk assessments for cyclical fire, flood and hurricane seasons, and planning processes in advance with the intent to increase federal preparedness to support PTs. The GOC also hosts an exercise program that strengthens EM literacy, capabilities, and functions through the delivery of various exercises for all-hazards events and/or emergencies with all orders of government, first responders, and non-governmental organizations. For example, it is currently responsible for the delivery of a safety and security exercise for the upcoming G7 event. In addition, the GOC's Continuous Improvement Program, spearheads efforts to enhance processes, identify efficiencies, shift mindsets and foster a culture of continuous improvement based on feedback and lessons learned from major events and exercises.

The EX program provides a leadership role and supports the prioritization of exercises of interest across the Government of Canada. In addition, the GOC's Continuous Improvement Program (CIP), spearheads efforts to enhance processes, identify efficiencies, shift mindsets and foster a culture of continuous improvement. CIP gathers feedback through After Action Reviews (AAR) with federal partners, senior management, and key stakeholders following major events (e.g. 2023 Wildfires) and priority exercises (e.g., Costal Response 2023). These reviews identify lessons learned, best practices, and areas for improvement, informing strategic recommendations for senior decision-makers to implement efficiencies. Overall, these programs enhance the Government of Canada's response coordination and reinforces preparedness.

After a decade of planning and work, the GOC will be relocating to the new cutting-edge federal emergency operations centre in the spring/summer of 2025, which will become the centerpiece for the federal EM, community of practice, and event management.

Date modified:

2025-04-22