Responding to Emergency Events

Emergencies are managed first at the local level: hospitals, fire departments, police and municipalities. If they need assistance at the local level, they request it from the provinces or territories. If the emergency escalates beyond their capabilities, the provinces or territories seek assistance from the federal government. In order to facilitate a cross-jurisdictional response in this regard, the National Emergency Response System (NERS) was developed by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Response Working Group and approved by FPT Ministers in January 2011. The coordination and provisioning of resources can move quickly from the local to the national level as required during an emergency, including a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives (CBRNE) disaster. Our network of Regional Offices across Canada serve as the Department's primary link to provincial and territorial emergency management counterparts, as well as federal departments in the region, to ensure a whole-of-government response.

Learn more about PS's emergency response programs and strategies:

Government Operations Centre:
Housed at PS, the Centre monitors emerging threats and can provide around-the-clock coordination and support in the event of a national emergency.
Urban Search and Rescue Program:
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is the capacity to rescue victims from major structural collapse or other entrapments.
CBRNE Resilience Strategy and Action Plan for Canada:
The Strategy promotes the vision of an integrated capability across Canada by framing a scalable, responsive, dynamic, sustainable and evidence-based approach for all contributors to CBRNE events. This approach is equally based on the Four Components of Emergency Management: prevention / mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.