Office of the Premier
The Capital Regional District (CRD) and the Province of British Columbia have supported the establishment of a new regional emergency management partnership that will enhance emergency management activity across the Capital Region.
Through the partnership, the CRD and the Province will each provide resources in a 50/50 partnership to work with the CRD municipalities and electoral areas to prepare for emergencies or disasters that are multi-jurisdictional or impact the entire region.
The CRD and Emergency Management BC (EMBC) worked collaboratively with the chief administrative officers (CAOs) from across the region to determine the scope and parameters of this provincial-regional partnership, which has now been approved by both the CRD Board of Directors and the Province.
Agreement Benefits:
- This provincial-regional emergency management partnership will confirm roles and responsibilities of all levels of government and key stakeholder agencies. It will promote and lead increased co-ordination, co-operation, collaboration, capacity and integration between the levels of government during all phases of emergency management: planning/preparedness; response; recovery and mitigation.
- The agreement will also address emergency events that cross jurisdictional boundaries or have impacts and demands that are beyond a single local authority’s ability to handle, and will provide oversight and accountability on regional emergency-management issues, plans and strategies, as well as address operational redundancies.
- The regional partnership will enhance emergency preparedness, public education and common public messaging for each of the key hazards the region may face, and will strengthen regional information sharing, communications, and joint planning, training and exercises.
- The agreement will engage senior decision makers such as CAOs in regional emergency-management activity and regional decision making, and will align with the provincial level planning initiatives for improved preparedness and response.
(flickr.com) Quotes
Naomi Yamamoto, Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness –
“This regional partnership will improve co-operation and foster collaboration and co-ordination for emergency management delivery in the capital region and its 13 municipalities and three electoral areas. By participating in regional emergency-management activity, we continue to act on recommendations made in two earthquake reports in 2014, and establish consistency with how regional emergency management is delivered throughout the province as outlined in our strategic plan.”
Barbara Desjardins, CRD chair –
“This partnership will help ensure seamless co-ordination between the levels of government during emergency planning and disaster resilience in the CRD. Clarity of roles and responsibilities and ensuring timely public communication are essential in an emergency situation and we are pleased to partner with the Province on this important initiative.”
Learn more:
Capital Regional District: https://www.crd.bc.ca/
Emergency Management BC: http://bit.ly/1QugwCN
