Provincial Emergency Program

Emergency Management BC

Key Initiatives

EPIC 2015 Conference

September 25, 2015

Agenda

• Overview of Emergency Management BC

• Organizational Changes

• Strategic Plan and Annual Report

• EMBC Key Initiatives:

• Catastrophic Earthquake Planning and Capacity

• Notification and Alerting

• Exercise Coastal Response

• Public Education and Regional Partnership Support

• Local Government Engagement Strategy

Organizational

Changes

– EMBC is now in the Ministry of State for

Emergency Preparedness, situated within the

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

– Office of the Fire Commissioner remains with

EMBC

– BC Coroner Service remained with Ministry of

Justice

EMBC

Organization Chart

Deputy Minister

Emergency

Management

Assistant Deputy Minister

Emergency Management

BC

Plans and Mitigation

Office of the Fire

Commissioner

Operations &

Recovery Transition

Policy and Legislation

Regional

Offices

Administrative Unit

Corporate Staff

Supporting EMBC Executive Officer

Integrated

Public Safety

GCPE

Communications

ISB

CMSB

Finance

Organizational

Learning

Integrated Planning

Emergency Coordination

Centre

Public Safety Lifeline

Volunteers

Recovery and Funding

Program

Flood Protection Program

Executive Coordinator

Fire Inspections and

Investigations

Structure Protection

Program

Codes and Standards

Fire Reporting

Logistics

Training

Exercises

Public Education

Social Media

External Resourcing and

Coordination

Logistics Plans and

Support

Business Continuity

Program

Supply Chain Business

Architecture

6 EMBC Regional

Offices and

Regional/Provincial

Operations Centres

Direct support to

Local Authorities

and Stakeholders

EMBC - Our Regions

Legislated Responsibilities

– Emergency Program Act (EPA)

• Defines responsibilities of local authorities, provincial ministries and

crown corporations

• Responsibility for the Province’s emergency management program

– Emergency Program Management Regulation

• Identifies Minister responsible for coordinating government response

to specific hazards

– Local Authority Emergency Management Regulation

• Outlines roles & responsibilities of Local Authority

– Compensation and Disaster Financial Assistance

Regulation

• Defines disaster financial assistance framework

PREMIER AND CABINET

MINISTERS - DEPUTIES EMERGENCY COMMITTEE

PROVINCIAL EMERGENCY COORDINATION CENTRE PROVINCIAL MINISTRIES

AND AGENCIES

FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS

PROVINCIAL REGIONAL EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE(S)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTRE

(EOCS)

ON-SITE RESPONSE

CENTRAL COORDINATION GROUP

Provincial Emergency

Management Structure

2014 OAG Audit

Catastrophic Earthquake

An Opportunity and Catalyst to:

• Build capacity

• Develop strategic and long-term plans

• Review and update existing plans and programs

• Conduct regular training and exercises

• Develop and measure public education initiatives

• Report out annually

EMBC Mission

To lead the management of provincial

level emergencies and disasters and

support other authorities within their

areas of jurisdiction.

EMBC Strategic Plan

2014 - 2017 Goals

1. EMBC is a learning organization with a culture of

continuous improvement.

2. EMBC is expert in leading the management of catastrophic

disasters of provincial significance and impact.

3. EMBC is effective in supporting other responsible

authorities in their mandate to mitigate and manage

emergencies and disasters.

4. EMBC excels in the provision of the Office of the Fire

Commissioner’s unique services.

5. EMBC empowers and strengthens volunteer organizations.

EMBC Strategic Plan:

Lines of Effort

• Organizational Capacity

• Catastrophic Earthquake Preparedness

• Training and Exercising

• Partnerships (including local authorities)

• Public Education

• Business Practices and Governance

EMBC Annual Report

– Assesses progress against:

• EMBC Strategic Plan

• EMBC Mandate and Initiatives

– Deliverables on track and/or ahead of

schedule

– Significant progress on catastrophic planning

EMBC Organizational

Capacity

– Logistics Cell (4)

– Provincial Duty Managers (6)

– Training and Exercise Staff Augmentation (2)

Earthquake Preparedness

Consultation and Report

• Extensive stakeholder consultation (April to July 2014)

• Eight recommendations with key actions identified

• Highlights need for change in culture and preparedness

• Emergency management is a responsibility that is shared

by all: public, all levels of gov’t, private sector, NGOs, etc.

• Organizations responsible for emergency management in

BC need greater resources, empowerment and authority

Concrete work already underway, particularly at EMBC, in

response to the Auditor General’s 2014 report

March 2014 March 2015 March 2016 March 2017

Immediate Response Plan

Sustained Response

Planning

Recovery Planning

Earthquake

Planning Roadmap

Earthquake Immediate

Response Plan (IRP)

• Developed in cooperation with Partners

• Completed and posted on EMBC website:

http://www.embc.gov.bc.ca/em/hazard_plans/irp.pdf

• Outlines provincial response

• Roles and responsibilities of all levels of

government, IGO/NGO, volunteers and the private

sector

• Addresses decision making and integration

between local, provincial, federal and U.S. partners

18

EMBC IRP Valiation Day 19

Provincial Earthquake

Response & Recovery Centre

• Venue for integration across all agencies

• Coordination specific to earthquake

• Direct support to Local Authorities

• Recovery integration

Provincial

Coordination Team (PCT)

• Cross-government, multi-functional provincial program

• Activated & deployed by EMBC

• Potential tasks:

– On the ground situational awareness, assessment and analysis

– Reinforcing & setting conditions for integration with Local Authorities & stakeholders

– Reinforcing regional operations centers

• Already proven effectiveness

Notification

and Alerting

Provincial Emergency

Notification System (PENS)

• Emergency notification function to alert Local

Authorities, First Nations and other key

stakeholders

• Currently used exclusively to notify of a

potential tsunami

• Technology and processes were outdated

• PENS Renewal project was initiated June 2014

and completed March 2015

24

Citizens

“New” Current System

24

EMBC

Provincial

Duty

Manager

Wa

rnin

g

Local

Government

Emergency

Officials

National Tsunami

Warning Center

Local Alert

Social Media

Unit (On Call)

Alert

Alert

EMBC

Emergency

Coordinatio

n Centre

Notify

Web

Twitter

1

2

3 4

Local Alert

Local Alert

Citizens

Public Alerting Project:

Future State

Web

BC Alert

Management

Hub

Response

Warning

Local

Government

Emergency

Officials

No

tify

EMBC

Provincial

Duty

Manager (24x7 On

site)

National

Tsunami

Warning

Center

Create

Alert

1

2

3

Purpose

• Enhance provincial emergency response capabilities

Scope

• Full Scale Exercise

• Test components of BC’s Earthquake Immediate Response Plan

• Deploy Specialized Resources (HUSAR & PCT)

• Strengthen stakeholder relationships and engagement

• Linked with Canadian Federal Pacific Quake Exercise and US

Cascadia Rising Exercise

Location

• Port Alberni

Exercise

Coastal Response

Exercise Functions

Strategic Communications

Logistics

Operational

Communications

Emergency Operations

Mass Care

Medical

Exercise

Coastal Response

Provincial Emergency Program

HUSAR TF-1

LUSAR Ex Coastal Response 2016

PCT

Public Education

• Developed in consultation with Local Authorities

• New public education materials:

• Earthquake and Tsunami Smart Manual

• Neighbourhood Preparedness Guide

• Household Preparedness Guide

• DIY Emergency Plan

• Emergency Kit Card

Regional Partnerships

Integrated Partnership for Regional Emergency

Management (IPREM)

A 50-50 partnership between the Province and Metro

Vancouver Local Authorities

Created a Regional Concept of Operations

Completed a draft regional communications strategy

Potential for similar relationship with the Capital Regional

District

Catastrophic Planning

Local Government

Engagement Strategy

A three-year Local Government Engagement Strategy has

been written and is under final review.

“Over the course of the next three years, EMBC intends to

better engage local government through a variety of

communication methods, to modernize the tools that are

available, and to promote a better understanding of EMBC

policies, roles and responsibilities.”

Local Government

Strategy Goals

• To apply a flexible approach to tool development that

recognizes the differences between local authority

emergency programs.

• To provide EMBC staff the tools, resources and training

to ensure effective program delivery to local authorities.

• To create more opportunities for meaningful dialogue

and communications between EMBC and local

authorities.

• To promote leadership and governance through

partnership, collaboration and shared learning

Reference

Materials

Other EMBC

Work Underway

• Provincial Mitigation Program

• Multi-Year Provincial-level exercise program

• Support to First Nations

• Integration with federal agencies

• Enhanced partnerships internal and external

to BC

Provincial Emergency Program

Thank You

Heather Lyle

Director, Integrated Public Safety

Emergency Management BC

www.embc.gov.bc.ca