Document history

This is version 1.0 of the 2019 Provincial Emergency Response Plan.

This version replaces the version last published in 2008.

Amendments to the current version can occur at any time. These will be recorded in the following table:

Revision numberDescription of changeDate of publication
1.0Initial publication of 2019 versionDecember 29, 2020

Publications management

In accordance with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, the Provincial Emergency Response Plan is available to the public on the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management's website.

Copies of the Provincial Emergency Response Plan are to be widely distributed among the emergency management community. Organizations that keep hard or digital copies of this document as a resource for their emergency operations are responsible for ensuring that they have the most up-to-date version of the document.

This publication is subject to review and amendments. This process is the responsibility of the office of the Chief, Emergency Management Ontario. Stakeholders are encouraged to review and evaluate this plan as they use it and to submit comments and suggestions.

Amendments may be published from time to time. The version control form in this section will be used to keep a record of approved amendments.

To make comments and suggestions relating to the Provincial Emergency Response Plan, or to request it in a different format, please contact:

Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management
Attn: Program Manager, Planning and Exercises
Ref: Provincial Emergency Response Plan
25 Morton Shulman Avenue,
Toronto, ON, M3M 0B1, Canada

Email: askemo@ontario.ca

Website:

Executive summary

While Ontario is a safe place to live and work, emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time. Ontario's Solicitor General, through the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, is responsible for ensuring that the provincial response to an emergency is effectively coordinated.

The Provincial Emergency Response Plan (PERP) describes how the province coordinates emergency response when there are multiple ministries and other provincial organizations involved. This type of coordination is usually needed for widespread and complex emergencies. The PERP does this by:

  • Providing a planning basis that describes how emergencies can impact Ontario.
  • Describing how emergencies typically unfold in the province.
  • Providing an organizational structure to highlight primary lines of communication.
  • Describing the basic mechanisms for how a multi-organizational provincial emergency response can be effectively coordinated.
  • Providing an overview of the legislated responsibilities of the provincial ministries for emergency response.

Effective emergency management in Ontario requires a coordinated response between many different types of organizations, including:

  • Municipalities (including single-tier, lower- and upper-tiers).
  • Unincorporated communities living in unorganized territories.
  • Other public sector organizations (e.g., hospitals, school boards).
  • The Government of Canada.
  • Private industry, including critical infrastructure owners and operators.
  • First Nation communities on-reserve.
  • Provincial ministries, agencies, boards, and commissions.
  • Specialized response teams (e.g., Urban Search and Rescue)
  • Neighbouring provinces and states.
  • Non-governmental organizations.

The primary audience for the PERP is the emergency managers or emergency coordinators who develop and implement emergency plans for their organizations.