Requests for Federal Assistance
Date: March 10, 2021
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: EMPB
Proposed Response:
- The Government of Canada is committed to assisting provinces and territories with their emergency management responses to cyclical natural disasters and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Emergencies are managed first at the local level. If they need assistance at the local level, they request it from the provinces or territories. If the emergency escalates beyond P/T capabilities, the provinces or territories seek assistance from the federal government.
- Should a province or territory make an official RFA, there is a well-established process in place for managing RFAs, through the GOC, and includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination of all departments as required.
- The GOC continues to manage formal requests for assistance (RFAs) from the federal government and the provinces and territories —such as the requests from Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba to support senior homes and long-term health care facilities — and liaises with key organizations such as the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), Public Health Agency of Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, and the Canadian Red Cross (CRC).
- The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Minister of National Defence, continue to ensure a strategic approach to the use of the CAF and CRC support to COVID and other event response efforts. This coverage facilitates rapid deployment approvals, while ensuring appropriate vetting of requests given the potential high demand for finite resources. The omnibus RFA between Public Safety and the CAF continues to facilitate timely decision-making on deploying the CAF to support COVID-19 response efforts.
- Since March 2020, the Government of Canada has supported 60 RFAs. Currently, under RFA’s the CRC is deployed in Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec to support long-term care facilities until March 31, 2021. The CRC is also deployed in Windsor-Essex supporting an isolation site for temporary foreign workers until March 31.
- Public Safety and the GOC have also been working closely with Provinces and Indigenous Services Canada to provide support to First Nation (FN) communities. Through this close coordination, FN community’s leadership and province have identified emergency management needs. CAF Rangers and regular forces are currently active in Mathias Colomb FN, Manitoba, as well as in Northern Ontario to support vaccine rollout operations until the completion of the vaccination program.
Responsive lines
- The Government of Canada pandemic response provides provinces and territories with two streams of federal assistance. COVID-19 federal surge capacity requests for federal assistance are managed by Public Safety Canada for emergency management support and the Public Health Agency of Canada for public health support, respectively.
Background:
National COVID-19 response efforts require a whole-of-government approach. It is expected that there will be an increased need for federal assistance as it has become apparent that the COVID-19 response is placing a strain on emergency planning and response organizations across the country.
The intersection of forthcoming cyclical natural disasters, such as floods and fires, with the COVID-19 pandemic presents additional unique challenges to Provinces/Territories (PTs), First Nations and municipalities across Canada that are responsible for managing responses to emergencies within their jurisdictions.
Public Safety Canada is working with federal, provincial and territorial partners, through the Government Operations Centre (GOC), to ensure ongoing coordinated responses to COVID-19, natural disasters or other incidents. The GOC is supporting the Public Health Agency of Canada, which is the federal government lead for the response to COVID-19.
Current Deployments
- Manitoba LTCF – CRC Support
An extension to the current CRC support to LTCFs until March 31, 2021 was received on January 4, 2021 and approved on January 14, 2021. CRC is currently active in 1 site in Manitoba.
- Windsor-Essex TFW Isolation Site – CRC Support
The request for extension until March 31, 2021 was received on January 12, 2021 and approved on January 14, 2021. Currently, there are 15 persons at the isolation site.
- Ontario LTCF – CRC Support
An extension to the current CRC support to LTCFs until March 31, 2021 was received on December 11, 2021 and approved on December 17, 2020. CRC is currently active in 5 sites in Ontario.
- Québec LTCF – CAF/CRC Support
An RFA was received April 15, 2020 for CAF to support ongoing efforts to protect the vulnerable residents of LTCFs. Federal support was continued in a transition to non-CAF LTCF relief personnel through the large scale mobilization of teams of CRC volunteers starting on July 3, 2020. A request for extension was received September 14, 2020 and assistance was approved and the RFA was extended until October 31, 2020. An additional request for extension was received on October 27, 2020 and existing presence of the CRC was approved until 31 March, 2021. CRC is currently active in 7 sites in Québec.
- Fly-In First Nation (FN) Communities, Northern Ontario – CAF Rangers Support
An RFA was received January 21, 2021 for CAF Ranger support to vaccine rollout operations in Northern Ontario until the completion of the vaccination program in April 2021.
- PHAC Border Testing, Across Canada – CAF Rangers Support
An RFA was received February 16, 2021 for CAF to facilitate the planning, implementation, and sustainment of testing sites to be established in sixteen designated land border crossings until April 9, 2021.
- Mathias Colomb FN, Manitoba
A request for assistance was received on March 9, 2021 and approved the same day. The Rangers are being asked to support the vaccine roll out, particularly with logistics, local coordination, and some administrative tasks.
Pending Deployments
- Mobile Hospital Units (MHU) – CRC Support
A request for assistance for two Mobile Hospital Units (MHUs) arrived January 19, 2021 and was approved on January 22. The letter requested the deployment of MHUs to augment provincial hospital capacity until May 1, 2021. A letter from the Minister of PS has also been sent to the Minister of PSPC. PSPC is working with Ontario provincial authorities, the MHU Supplier (Weatherhaven), and the two hosting hospital corporations, to finalize deployments. Ontario has yet to publicly disclose the two locations.
Past Deployments which have concluded since January 2021
- Nain, Newfoundland – CAF Rangers Support
An RFA was received January 13, 2021 for CAF Rangers to support with transport of vulnerable persons to, and from vaccination administration sites. CAF operations concluded on January 17, 2021.
- Ginoogaming FN, Ontario– CAF Support
An RFA was received January 30, 2021 for CAF support to assist the community until Mar 1, 2021, monitoring key infrastructure, delivery of supplies, wellness checks, and Pandemic Health Measures awareness program. The deployment concluded on February 9, 2021.
- Garden Hill FN, Manitoba– CAF Support
An RFA was received January 19, 2021 for CAF support. On January 21, 2021, 36 CAF Regular Forces personnel deployed to the community to provide general, and medical support for a period of up to 21 days. The RFA concluded on February 9, 2021.
- Hatchet Lake, Saskatchewan – CAF Rangers Support
An RFA was received November 24, 2020 for CAF Ranger support until January 31, 2021. An extension was approved until Feb 28, 2021. The deployment of 17 Rangers concluded on February 28, 2021, totaling 90 days of CAF support.
- Fort Nelson, British Columbia – CAF Rangers Support
An RFA was received January 30, 2021 for CAF Ranger support until March 1, 2021. 6 CAF Rangers arrived on February 5, 2021 to monitor key infrastructure, support delivery of supplies, perform wellness checks, and support the Pandemic Health Measures awareness program. The deployment concluded on March 1, 2021.
- Pauingassi FN, Manitoba – CAF Support
An RFA was received February 5, 2021 for CAF support in transportation assistance, logistics, and wellness checks. The RFA concluded February 2021.
- Muskrat Dam FN, Ontario – CAF Rangers Support
An RFA was received February 7, 2021 for CAF Rangers to support the response to the failure of critical infrastructure within the community. An RFA extension was received Feb 16, 2021, and withdrawal was on February 20, 2021.
- Cross Lake FN, Manitoba – CAF Support
An RFA was received for CAF support in integrating into local EOC, wellness checks, transportation to AIA sites and establishment of additional AIA site, pre-evacuation vitals monitoring, and support to public awareness of health measures. Deployment commenced February 23, 2021 for a total of 14 days. Deployment concluded as of March 8, 2021.
Background on Requests for Assistance
A Request for Federal Assistance (RFA) is the formalization of a request to the federal government to provide support in response to an emergency such as a natural disaster, national security incident and/or pandemic like COVID-19. If the PTs assess that the emergency exceeds their capacity and resources to response, they may seek assistance from the federal government to help them fill the gaps to mitigate and response to an emergency. Additionally, federal organizations may also require resources from their federal partners if their ability to continue to operate and respond to an emergency is beyond their capacity.
When a PT makes an official RFA, there is a well-established process in place for managing RFAs, through the GOC, that includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination of all departments as required.
When the emergency involves a First Nation (FN) community, FN leadership, depending on relevant emergency management agreements, will work in collaboration with their PTs and/or Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) or regional officials, to assess the emergency and propose a response. If a resolution is not possible at the regional level, a request for assistance may be sought.
The GOC coordinates formal RFAs from the federal government and PTs and liaises with key organizations such as the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
The GOC has established an RFA Secretariat led by the GOC to receive, evaluate, and prioritize all RFAs. The GOC convenes consultation with implicated departments to review RFAs, as required.
The Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of National Defence have also worked together to ensure a strategic approach for the use of CAF support to COVID-19 and cyclical event response efforts. This coverage will facilitate deployment approvals, preventing delays in timely federal support, but does not eliminate appropriate vetting of requests given the potential high demand for finite resources.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Evan Mackintosh, COVID Event Team Lead, Government Operations Centre, [Redacted]
Approved by: Trevor Bhupsingh, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and Programs Branch, 613-993-4325
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