Published plans and annual reports 2025–2026: Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response

Ministry Overview

Ministry’s Vision

Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response (MEPR) leads the provincial coordination, promotion, development, and implementation of a comprehensive emergency management program, including prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery to ensure a safe, practiced, and prepared Ontario.

The ministry’s vision — for a safe, secure and resilient Ontario — demonstrates its role in creating a safer, prepared, and practiced Ontario for 16 million people across the province, and ensuring resources and structures are in place to rapidly respond and oversee a provincial response during an emergency.

MEPR’s responsibilities include:

• Leading the coordination, development and implementation of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery strategies and programs with emergency management partners (as the provincial one window for emergency management coordination) and overseeing Ontario Corps.
• Leading the coordination of Ontario’s response to emergencies when provincial emergency management is required, including the provision of provincial support during emergencies that impact First Nation Reserves (e.g., disasters which require evacuations), municipalities and unincorporated territories.
• Supporting the legislative framework for emergency management programs in Ontario, the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, including associated structures, programs, and plans.
• Supporting Ontario's emergency management governance and accountability framework.
   

Ministry Program

The Emergency Management Ontario program is the one window for all Ontarians to ensure that emergency management is coordinated quickly and efficiently across the province. Working in partnership with Ontario ministries, the Government of Canada, neighbouring jurisdictions, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, industry and Indigenous partners, the program proactively plans for and responds to emergency events. Grounded in data, analytics and knowledge, the program identifies potential risks to inform short and long-term planning for future emergencies. Through strengthened emergency management training, exercises and public education, the program ensures that Ontarians are better prepared for emergency events, placing priority populations at the centre of planning, preparedness, and mitigation.

2025-26 Strategic Plan

MEPR is at the centre of developing and implementing the government’s plan to ensure a safe, practiced, and prepared Ontario.

Strategic Priority: Emergency Management Ontario

This strategic priority demonstrates the role of MEPR in creating a safer, prepared, and practiced Ontario for 16 million people across the province, and ensuring resources and structures are in place to rapidly respond and oversee a provincial response during an emergency.

Intended Outcome: Ontario is prepared for emergencies and natural disasters.

Work continues to ensure Ontario is prepared for emergencies by monitoring how well ministries and municipalities are meeting emergency management program requirements, including standards, under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). The table below provides details on the measure that supports this strategic priority:

Programs that contribute to the KPI result

• OPS ministries
• Emergency Management Ontario

In addition, 91 percent of municipalities were deemed to have met all requirements under the EMCPA.

Key Program and Initiative:

Transformation and Modernization

MEPR drives responsive transformation and applies sound business practices to government, thereby achieving greater efficiency to ensure programs and services are protected, sustainable, efficient, effective, and equitable by:

• Launching Ontario Corps, a group of skilled partners and volunteers that the province can deploy to help communities respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.
• Continuing the promotion, development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive emergency management programs throughout Ontario.
• Supporting the modernization of provincial emergency management through updated policies, programs, and frameworks, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of our communities.
• Leading ongoing engagement, implementation and annual reporting on the Provincial Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan, which provides a roadmap to move emergency management forward and ensure a safe, practiced, and prepared Ontario.
• Working with First Nations, municipalities, non-government organizations, Indigenous organizations, critical infrastructure owner operators, the federal government, provincial ministries, and other partners to update the Provincial Emergency Response Plan (PERP) by 2026. The updated plan will enable the province to facilitate a whole of government response to escalated and complex emergencies.
• Working with partners to update the Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan (PNERP) in the 2025-26 fiscal year. The PNERP is reviewed and updated regularly to remain applicable in an evolving nuclear radiological environment to ensure a safe, practiced and prepared Ontario with regards to nuclear and radiological emergency management.
• Strengthening ministry and municipal emergency management programs.
• Supporting government response to emergencies through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) and a province-wide team of dedicated Field Officers who provide municipalities and First Nations communities with a single point of contact to manage provincial assistance in times of crisis. The team also provides year-round training, delivery, outreach, and engagement to support the development of emergency management programs in municipalities and First Nations communities.
• Working collaboratively with ministries, municipalities, First Nations and Local Service Boards in unincorporated communities to review and update the Ontario Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (HIRA) Program. This will ensure current hazard conditions, and the latest emergency management best practices and risk management standards are reflected within a province-wide HIRA.
• Investing in an Emergency Response Fund (ERF) that prioritizes the safety and well-being of communities in Ontario in times of crisis. The ERF provides for urgent support to municipalities, First Nations and unincorporated communities in the initial stages of an emergency and helps augment local emergency response capabilities at a moment’s notice.
• Supporting and coordinating the plans for, and response to specific priority events (including the 2026 FIFA games in Toronto). This work will ensure that Ontario is prepared to safely host this globally high-profile event. 
   

Detailed Financial Information

For additional financial information, see:

• Expenditure Estimates
• Public Accounts of Ontario
• 2025 Budget

Ministry Organization Chart

• Minister, Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response – The Honourable Jill Dunlop
  • Deputy Minister and Commissioner of Emergency Management – Eric Everett
    • Legal Director – Len Hatzis
    • Communications Director – Michelle Burr
    • Chief Administrative Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Corporate Services Division – Sandy Yee
    • ADM, Emergency Response Division – Heather Levecque
    • ADM, Emergency Preparedness Division – Lisa Priest
    • ADM, Strategic Policy and Services Division – Michelle Astill

Acts Administered by The Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act

Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020

Annual Report

MEPR leads the implementation of a comprehensive emergency management program to ensure a safe, practiced, and prepared Ontario.

In 2024-25, the ministry continued to play a crucial role in ensuring that Ontarians were better prepared for emergency events, placing priority populations at the centre of planning, preparedness, and mitigation.

Below are the highlights of MEPR’s 2024-25 achievements to ensure that emergency management partners across Ontario have the resources and tools necessary to prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Strategic Priority: Emergency Management Ontario

This strategic priority demonstrates the role of MEPR in creating a safer, prepared, and practiced Ontario for 16 million people across the province, and ensuring resources and structures are in place to rapidly respond and oversee a provincial response during an emergency.

Programs that contribute to the KPI result

• OPS Ministries

Key Programs and Initiatives:

Increasing Provincewide Emergency Management Capacity

The ministry continues to undertake activities to help provincial ministries, municipalities, First Nations, other organizations, and all Ontarians be safe, practiced, and prepared for any emergency under the leadership of a dedicated Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response and Commissioner of Emergency Management.

For example:

• Launched round two of the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant (CEPG), an application-based grant that will enhance the resiliency of municipalities, First Nations, Local Service Boards and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The grant helps communities and organizations purchase critical supplies, equipment and deliver training and services to improve local emergency preparedness and response.
• Developed Transfer Payment Agreements with NGOs and partners with a proven record in emergency management, response, and volunteer management to support capacity building, readiness, and preparedness activities.
• Continued partnering with Northern College in Timmins to serve as a hub in northern Ontario, providing an alternative emergency operations space, a coordination point for deployments, and a storage facility for critical supplies and equipment. The hub can also be utilized for exercises and training.
• Delivered public education products to kindergarten to grade 12 (K-12) students for Emergency Preparedness Week in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
• Developed and implemented Ontario’s Public Education Strategy for emergency management, including the provision of materials to communities across the province and Ministry Management Emergency Coordinators (MEMCs). Education materials have been translated into the top 10 languages spoken in the province and three Indigenous languages. MEPR continues to strengthen partnerships and foster collaboration with the Ministry of Education to enhance the reach and effectiveness of public education products within the education sector.
• Facilitated the delivery of 388 courses related to emergency management for external partners and stakeholders, completed by 16,549 learners (both in-person and online through virtual and self-study options).
• Led and participated in 114 emergency exercises and drills with government and non-government partners to strengthen emergency practice and preparedness. This included participation in exercises such as the Provincial Priority Exercises 2024, “Exercise Flaming Dart” with Greater Toronto Airport Authority, “Exercise Border Alliance” with Canadian Coast Guard, and Cobalt Magnet 2025, the single largest cross-border nuclear exercise in North American history involving over 2,500 participants from 98 agencies from Ontario/Canada and the United States.
• Released in April 2024 the first annual report of the Provincial Emergency Management Strategy and Action Plan, outlining progress made in 2023 on the goals and actions in the plan to move emergency management forward and ensure a safe, practiced and prepared Ontario. In addition, monitored continued progress on the plan to inform the 2024 annual report, which was released on May 5, 2025.
• Introduced and posted for public feedback in December 2024 proposed amendments to modernize and strengthen Ontario’s emergency management legislation, the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). This was informed by engagement with more than 550 partners and stakeholders 2024 through over 45 in-person and virtual sessions and 91 written submissions on a publicly posted discussion guide.
• Continued to work with partners through provincial and intergovernmental forums to advance shared emergency management priorities and activities.
• Completed the products of the First Nations All Hazards Working Group co-led by the First Nations Emergency Response Association. The working group collaborated to develop infographic tools for communities regarding wildland fire smoke and air quality, as well as how to access free N95 masks. Membership included the federal government, and First Nations partners.
• Developed First Nations Community Liaison training with the guidance and recommendations from First Nations partners. Liaison training allows for the sharing of partner knowledge, perspectives, and best practices to support emergency preparedness and response efforts.
• Developed and facilitated the delivery of an enhanced, Indigenous-centric Basic Emergency Management training course, guided by a First Nations-led advisory group to ensure culturally appropriate and relevant content.
• Implemented EMO Central as a one-window SharePoint resource for all emergency management program-related needs. The portal is a secure, collaborative space that brings together provincial ministries, municipalities, First Nations and other partners from across the province. Developed in collaboration with emergency management partners, EMO Central ensures best practices and insights are shared across the province. It is a virtual and evergreen community platform for accessing tools and resources, all developed and maintained by Ontario emergency management experts.
• Created new capabilities for MEPR Field Officers with five Field Officers certified as Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) pilots. Each of these licensed Field Officers has been issued two drones to assist with damage assessment, search and rescue, and situational awareness gathering. MEPR has also updated its attire to ensure a consistent and professional visual identity across MEPR staff.
• Implemented new tools to improve information sharing and incident assessment. This includes the situational awareness portal (SAP), a map-based site designed to quickly share key incident information with emergency management partners, and the Emergency Coordination, Collaboration and Communication dashboard (EC3) that has been developed by MEPR to consolidate information sources and provide a tool to support MEPR operations staff and leadership with briefing and decision-making.

Managing Emergencies

MEPR ensures that emergency management is coordinated quickly and efficiently across the province with partners. The ministry has supported the following emergencies during the past fiscal year:

• Worked proactively with partners through relationship and planning processes to identify emergency management supports required to assist communities experiencing flooding and wildland fires in Ontario.
• Supported Fort Albany First Nation in coordinating the Spring 2024 flooding season, including the surveillance of ice breakup and flooding levels on the Albany River. Due to this coordination, Fort Albany First Nation safely avoided the need to conduct a precautionary evacuation.
• Coordinated support for the large influx of people viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse alongside key partners from municipalities (including the Regional Municipality of Niagara). This included the deployment of 11 Field Officers to Municipalities across Southern Ontario and piloting Ontario Corps, including deploying Team Rubicon, which supported some Municipal Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) and sent representatives to the PEOC.
• Continued support and coordination of the planning for, and response to, the 2026 FIFA games in Toronto. This includes working with partners at all levels of government and event organizers, as well as embedding MEPR staff in the core FIFA planning team.
• Coordinated with municipal partners in the Timiskaming District in response to significant flooding experienced in April 2024. This included the Town of Kirkland Lake, Township of McGarry, Township of Chamberlain, Township of Charlton & Dack, Township of Evanturel, and Township of Larder Lake.
• Monitored over 475 wildland fires in the province in 2024 and engaged with Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) to maintain situational awareness on wildland fires, as well as monitoring additional fire and smoke impacts from across Canada and the United States.
• Coordinated responses to support five First Nations that declared emergencies related to the degradation of the ice road network across northwestern Ontario.
• Coordinated the response to an unprecedented snowstorm in Gravenhurst that left over 2,000 customers without power and closed highways, leading to a declaration of emergency by the municipality. MEPR deployed Ontario Corps partners, including OSARVA, GlobalMedic, and the Salvation Army, alongside MEPR staff. OSARVA conducted 141 wellness checks, vetted 240 calls for service and supported three home evacuations. Feed Ontario prepared 540 food hampers. GlobalMedic managed the warming centre and collaborated with Salvation Army to run a food truck and distribute food hampers.
• Coordinated and supported the evacuation of over 1300 people across the province to ensure that residents of Ontario were safe and well cared for when leaving their homes due to disasters.