Emergency management policy can be defined as the course of action taken by the government to avoid risk (Haddow, D.G et al.2008). Manitoba experienced 119 hazards in last 100 years (1904 to 2014) where flood, drought, storm and wildfire occurred more frequently which had high economic losses but very few fatalities (Jones, R. L. 1992). The emergency management policy of Manitoba has been developed through a long period of time and changed with time and with the Canadian federal policy (Starting from civil defence to risk based comprehensive emergency). It has got todays shape by layering of previous policies on top of another to increase the scope and complexity of emergency management.
The first emergency legislation, Manitoba Emergency Measures Act was enacted in 1987 and amended in 1997. There is a Memorandum of understanding between EPC and the provincial government. Under the Emergency Measures Act Manitoba provides financial assistance through DFAA policy. A Manitoba Inter-Agency steering committee on Emergency Social services (ESS) was established in 1990. Its role was to promote cooperation and communication between social service organizations like, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Manitoba Hotel Association, MEMO, Human resources development Canada, EPC and Manitoba Association of Fire Fighters (MANFF). The Manitoba government assigns local government the task of creating emergency preparedness and response plans. Every local authority shall establish and maintain a local emergency plan and local emergency response control group. A local authority is the council of an incorporated city, town or village; administrator and council of a local government district; or the Minister of Northern Affairs with respect to Northern Manitoba. While some municipalities have detailed emergency response plans but others have only the basic plan. A major problem for some municipalities is a lack of volunteers to assume emergency organization positions, while some others, which have plans in place, may not have volunteers. Others which may have volunteers in place may not take part in the training for volunteers (Haque, C.E., 2000). The Emergency Measures Act is a provincial legislation and applies to local authorities, provincial government, certain critical service providers and Disaster Financial Assistance Policies and Guidelines regulations. Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization (MEMO) is responsible for (a) overseeing and coordinating all aspects of emergency preparedness in the province; and (b) managing, directing and coordinating the response of all departments to a major emergency or disaster. Pursuant to section 2.2 of the Act, MEMO must (a) prepare a provincial emergency preparedness program and a provincial emergency plan, and conduct regular reviews and revisions of the program and plan; and (b) establish and maintain a registry containing a copy of every emergency plan and emergency management program in effect in the province. The Manitoba Emergency Plan (MEP) is the basic …show more content…
Following the new policy statement Public Safety Canada was established in 2005 to provide the field with more affirmed leadership within the federal cabinet. The new department eventually established a new Government Operations Centre to strengthen its capacity to coordinate the federal response to national emergencies. The new Centre replaced a much more modest Office of Critical Infrastructure and Emergency Preparedness (OCIPEP). These very significant changes underscore the importance attributed to more of national security and emergency management. In 2005 at a federal-provincial meeting, they agreed to “work together to improve and enhance the emergency response framework” of the country, and in 2007 a new formal framework entitled An Emergency Management Framework for Canada was adopted to specify the common principles, mechanisms, and instruments that would guide federal-provincial coordination in the future (MREM, 2011). The Emergency Management Act was passed in 2007 by replacing parts of the Emergency Preparedness Act, 1985 (EPC, 2008). In particular, as part of this agreement, a permanent federal-provincial joint policy statements or strategies on specific issues, such as dealing with certain types of hazards or ensuring the interoperability of communication during emergencies (Public Safety Canada, 2011b). This time, municipalities are mentioned as part of potential partners that also includes universities, the private sector, and international organizations (MREM, 2011). The federal government made some further changes to its emergency management policies in 2011. The government issued an official statement on Canada’s National Emergency Response System (Public Safety Canada 2011a), which describes the principles, roles, responsibilities, and procedures