Parliamentary Committee Notes: National Public Alerting System (NPAS)

Date: May 11, 2022
Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch / Agency: EMPB

Proposed Response:

Financial Implications:

Background:

The National Public Alerting System (NPAS), publicly known as “Alert Ready”, is a multi-channel Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) all-hazards initiative that provides emergency management organizations throughout Canada with a standard alerting capability to warn the public of imminent or unfolding hazards to life through such means as radio, cable television, satellite television, and on compatible wireless devices. The NPAS complements existing public alerting systems and tools in a number of FPT jurisdictions (e.g. mobile apps).

The technical infrastructure for the NPAS is owned and operated by Pelmorex Corp, owner of The Weather Network / MétéoMedia television channels.

Each jurisdiction is responsible for issuing alerts through the NPAS. All 13 provinces and territories are connected to the NPAS. Provinces and territories (P/T), through their emergency management organizations or delegates (e.g., municipalities, local authorities), determine if and when the public needs to be warned of an imminent threat-to-life, and send these critical warnings to the public in the affected geographic regions. The only federal department currently connected to NPAS is Environment and Climate Change Canada – in order to issue severe threat-to-life weather alerts, such as for tornados. Public Safety Canada is not an alert issuer.

The system is capable of carrying emergency alerts in English, French, or both languages, at the discretion and in respect of the legislation of the issuing government authority. FPT governments work with broadcasters, wireless service providers, and the CRTC to ensure that the visual and audible aspects of public alerts sent through the NPAS are readily recognizable by the Canadian public, and are presented in a consistent format.

The CRTC sets out accessibility standards, with the goal of ensuring that the information delivered through broadcasting and wireless systems, including emergency alerts, is available in as complete a form as possible for all Canadians, including those with auditory or visual impairments. Further, the CRTC requires wireless service providers to make available for purchase to their subscribers at least one accessible phone that is compatible with the NPAS.

Regular testing helps to ensure that, in times of an emergency or disaster, governments are prepared to deliver urgent and lifesaving warnings to the public. P/T governments conduct public awareness tests of the system twice annually, in May during Emergency Preparedness week, and November. The next test will occur on November 16, 2022. Canadians are encouraged to visit AlertReady.ca to find the test schedule for their P/T, as well as other useful information on wireless phone compatibility, and the types of emergency alerts sent through the system.

Phone compatibility is still a concern for some Canadians. As of April 2019, the CRTC required that 100% of new phones sold by Canada’s wireless carriers be compatible with the emergency alerting system.

In 2020 and 2021, 180 and 173 emergency alert messages were successfully issued respectively, with approximately 12 were successfully issued so far in 2022. These emergency alerts have been credited with saving lives.

On April 18, 2020, Nova Scotia experienced Canada’s deadliest mass shooting claiming 23 lives. The RCMP, as lead agency, faced unprecedented pressure for failing to issue an emergency alert to notify people of a mass shooter. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the failure to issue an alert would be part of a larger investigation. Public Safety Canada awaits the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report on its findings, lessons and recommendations to help keep Canadian communities safer in the future.

At their March 2022 meeting, FPT Ministers underscored the importance of the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) to the safety and security of Canadians. They reaffirmed their commitment to this important emergency management capability by endorsing priorities to support the ongoing sustainability and enhancement of the system. At the news conference following the meeting, a question was asked about provinces are using the system with reference made to Nova Scotia mass shooting and how the police in that province did not know how to use the NPAS at the time.

To date, Public Safety Canada remains committed to continued collaboration with all public alerting stakeholders to improve the effectiveness and continued delivery of the NPAS and emergency alerting in Canada. This work includes exploring options on how best to strengthen the sustainability, governance, and effectiveness of emergency public alerting. One of the priority actions highlighted in Canada’s Emergency Management Strategy is the priority to enhance disaster response capacity and coordination.  This also includes the development of new capabilities and common guidelines for public alerting and public safety communications.

Contacts:

Prepared by: Rob MacDonald, Manager, Emergency Communications Policy, 343-550-8898
Approved by: Trevor Bhupsingh, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and Programs Branch, 613-769-3042

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