Parliamentary Committee Notes: Cyclical Emergency Management Preparedness and the Role of the Government Operations Centre (GOC)
Proposed Response
- Public Safety Canada is mandated to keep Canadians safe from a range of risks such as natural disasters, crime, and terrorism – “all hazards”.
- The Government Operations Centre (GOC), on behalf of the Government of Canada, continues to support federal response coordination for emergency events affecting the national interest by working in close collaboration with federal organizations, non-governmental organizations and provincial emergency management partners.
- As the cyclical events season approaches, the GOC continues to work with partners to develop risk assessments of areas susceptible to floods, wildfires and hurricanes. These are point in time assessments of course, and the weather can radically change risks quickly. Assessments are based on data collected from various key stakeholders such as Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), and provincial emergency management offices.
- The cyclical hazards are well known and subject to robust monitoring and preparedness activities at all level of society. Multiple Federal departments are involved in both preparedness and response activities.
- The GOC conducts annual planning processes in concert with all partners to ensure harmonized responses to cyclical events such as flooding, wildfire and hurricane seasons. The final products from these processes are used to brief PT partners, other federal departments involved in EM response and preparedness as well as Ministers and Cabinet.
- During the flooding, wildfire and hurricane seasons, our government maintains continuous communication with our federal and provincial partners, including Indigenous Communities, while monitoring impacts on communities on a 24/7 basis.
- ISC engages with First Nation (FN) Partners as full and equal participants to include cultural competent services as a priority for the upcoming flood season. They support FNs and response agencies in their coordination of operations and primary resources of Federal Assistance for FN. They also provide or make arrangements for direct health and public health service and funding for emergency management activities.
Responsive lines (if prompted)
- Emergencies are managed first at the local level. If municipal and local governments need assistance at the local level, they request it from the province or territory. If the emergency overwhelms P/T capacity, the province or territory may seek assistance from the federal government.
- Should a province or territory make an official request for federal assistance (RFA), there is a well-established process in place for managing Requests for Federal Assistance (RFA), through the GOC, and includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination.
Financial Implications
- NIL
Background
The Government Operations Centre (GOC) is mandated, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to lead and support response coordination of events affecting the national interest. It is an interdepartmental response-focused asset of the Government of Canada working in support of deputy heads, departments and agencies at the national (strategic) whole-of-government level.
It brings all partners into a common environment to harmonize collective actions and abilities into efficient analysis and action.
Each year, in consultation with partners, the GOC completes a comprehensive risk assessment and planning process in advance of the flooding, wildfire and hurricane seasons. The intent is to increase federal preparedness to support provinces and territories for potential spring flooding, urban interface wildfires and hurricanes. The final outcomes include a national risk assessment and the Government of Canada Contingency Plan for each of these cyclical events. The objective of these Contingency Plans is to outline a coordinated structure for an integrated federal response to flooding, wildfire and hurricane events, in support of the provinces and territories (P/T), for regions of concern. The Contingency Plan also provides strategic guidance and orientation for planning and response personnel at the national level.
During the flooding, wildfire and hurricane seasons, our government maintains continuous communication with our federal and provincial partners, including Indigenous Communities, while monitoring impacts on communities on a 24/7 basis.
Climate change is making natural disasters more severe, more frequent, more damaging and more expensive. In the past few years, the Minister of Public Safety, on behalf of the federal government, has accepted increasing numbers of Requests for Assistance (RFAs) for relief efforts from devastating events including the recent impacts from the 2023 wildfire season, Hurricane Fiona, and Atmospheric River events.
Requests for Assistance
When a PT makes an official RFA, there is a well-established process in place for managing RFAs, through the GOC at Public Safety Canada, that includes interdepartmental consultation and coordination of all departments as required. The GOC coordinates formal RFAs from the federal government and PTs and liaises with key organizations such as the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and non-governmental organizations like the Canadian Red Cross through the Humanitarian Work Force program.
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 federal assistance may be sought.
National Risk Profile
PS leads a Whole of Government initiative, the National Risk Profile (NRP), which is a strategic-level risk and capability assessment that uses scientific evidence and stakeholder input to identify and assess risks. The findings of the NRP provide a picture of the risks facing Canada and shed light on how the current emergency management system is able to reduce and cope with disaster risks.
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