Meeting of Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers Responsible for Emergency Management

NEWS RELEASE – FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL MINISTERS MEET TO DISCUSS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

TORONTO,  May 6, 2016 —Federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) ministers responsible  for emergency management met today in Toronto to discuss national priorities.  The meeting was timely, falling during Emergency Preparedness Week 2016, which  consists of a number of public education activities across the country.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Canada's  Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Honourable Eddie  Joyce, Minister of Municipal Affairs, and Minister Responsible for Fire and  Emergency Services, Newfoundland and Labrador. Ministers were hosted at the Ontario Provincial Emergency  Operations Centre.

Ministers acknowledged the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray,  Alberta, and expressed heartfelt thanks to the first responders, emergency  managers, military personnel, and volunteers working  together to keep Albertans safe. Ministers pledged continued support to Alberta  during the wildfire response and recovery.

Recognizing the increasing frequency and magnitude of climate or  weather-related emergencies, Ministers agreed on the need to modernize emergency  management in Canada. Ministers expressed support to work collaboratively to  update the National Emergency Management Framework and  develop a supporting Emergency Management Plan. Ministers agreed to undertake  efforts to leverage mitigation measures to reduce costs of disasters.

Ministers discussed the challenges surrounding emergency  management on First Nation reserves and committed to continued engagement and  collaboration with all Indigenous communities and leadership on emergency  management.

In addition, Ministers discussed the Government of Canada's  commitment to restore funding to Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) teams  across Canada. In support of this commitment, Ministers agreed to continued  collaboration in assessing the current state of HUSAR capabilities and to  determine next steps to bolster this critical emergency response capacity. Ministers  also discussed the importance of strengthening search and rescue capacity  across the country.

Ministers discussed progress on the implementation of the National  Public Alerting System (NPAS) as well as key priority areas for the coming year.  Ministers also expressed interest in contributing to the Canadian Radio-television  Telecommunications Commission's ongoing consultation on the participation of  wireless services providers in the NPAS. This consultation will inform next  steps in the integration of digital media and mobile platforms in public  alerting.

Ministers discussed the status of the joint FPT work to advance a  Public Safety Broadband Network. Ministers agreed on  the creation of a public-private advisory group to inform the way forward on  this important, yet complex initiative. 

In conclusion, Ministers agreed on the importance of formally recognizing  the valour and service of search and rescue volunteers across Canada. The  extraordinary service of these volunteers saves the lives of Canadians every  year.

QUOTES

"It  is my privilege to participate in my first federal, provincial and territorial  meeting on emergency management. My colleagues and I have made significant  progress today in identifying key areas for action and committing to ongoing  engagement on these issues. This commitment reflects our shared desire to develop  a whole-of-society emergency management approach through inclusivity,  collaboration and shared responsibility."

       
  • The  Honourable Ralph Goodale, Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency  Preparedness

"An effective working relationship between the federal government  and the provinces and territories is of critical importance to the safety and  well-being of all Canadians. We are committed to updating the emergency  management framework for Canada and working with our federal partners to  develop the Emergency Management Plan. I look forward to hosting the next  meeting in Newfoundland and Labrador."

       
  • The Honourable Eddie Joyce,  Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services, Newfoundland and  Labrador.

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CONTACTS

Scott Bardsley
Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
613-991-2924
scott.bardsley@canada.ca

Media Relations Office
Public Safety Canada
613-991-0657
media@ps-sp.gc.ca

Meghan Drover
Media Relations Manager
Fire and Emergency Services-NL
709-729-0857, 690-1810
meghandrover@gov.nl.ca