1. Introduction, background and authorities

1.1. An overview of the provincial role in emergencies

Under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), an emergency is “a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident, or an act whether intentional or otherwise.”

Emergencies threaten public safety, public health, the environment, property, continuity of government operations, critical infrastructure (CI), and economic stability. Emergencies vary in intensity and complexity depending on factors such as time of occurrence, weather conditions, severity of impact, type and construction of the affected infrastructure and buildings, type of hazard, and demographics.

In most instances, for emergencies that exceed the capacity of the individual, families or businesses, the impacted community^{footnote 2[2]} manages the emergency response and recovery. Communities do this as a matter of routine through emergency services (including police, fire, and paramedic services), and in more serious cases by implementing their emergency plan. At this level of response, there are also other organizations and institutions that may have emergency responsibilities to manage, such as the Ministry of Health (MOH) managing disruptions to the provincial health system; or the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) managing wildfires.

Occasionally, emergencies can arise where communities need additional support. In these instances, direct provincial government assistance may be necessary to support local emergency response activities. Similarly, the Government of Ontario frequently plays a role in supporting emergencies outside the province. Other jurisdictions outside of Ontario such as the Government of Canada or a neighbouring province may request support from Ontario when their response capabilities are not sufficient.

When the provincial government is responding to emergencies, there is often a need to coordinate between its various ministries and other provincial organizations. The Provincial Emergency Response Plan (PERP) provides guidance on how this coordination is achieved.

1.2. The Provincial Emergency Response Plan

The PERP describes how Ontario coordinates its response to emergencies involving multiple provincial ministries and/or other provincial government organizations. In addition, it explains how the Province of Ontario works with communities, the federal government, the private sector, and other emergency management partners to respond to emergencies. The primary audience for the PERP consists of emergency managers and officials who develop or implement emergency plans for their organizations.

1.3. Communities in Ontario

1.3.1. Municipalities

A municipality is an incorporated administrative area, which has powers of self-government and jurisdiction as provided by provincial law (Municipal Act, c. 25). Most people in Ontario live within a municipality.

1.3.2. First Nations in Ontario

The PERP uses the phrase First Nations community to refer to on-reserve First Nations.

It is important to recognize that First Nation communities are not subject to the EMPCA. The Province of Ontario, through the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC), provides emergency response assistance to First Nation communities through an agreement with the Government of Canada, as administered by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC). ISC is the federal government department responsible for working with First Nations and the Province of Ontario on emergency management issues. ISC is also responsible for assisting First Nation communities in developing and updating emergency plans at the regional and national level, as well as plans to mitigate the risk of emergencies (see section 2.7.7 for further details on First Nations emergency plans).

Many Indigenous peoples live and form communities outside of First Nations reserves. In these circumstances, emergency management falls under the municipal or unincorporated communities in which they reside.

1.3.3. Unincorporated communities

Not all Ontarians reside in areas that are designated as municipalities under the Municipal Act. Under the Municipal Act, areas that are not organized into municipalities are referred to as "unorganized territories", and do not have municipal governments. In recognition of the fact that there may be some organization in areas without a municipal government, the PERP uses "unincorporated communities" to refer to the people who live in unorganized territories.

1.4. Emergency management in Ontario

1.4.1 Emergency management programs

Emergency management consists of organized programs and activities which address actual or potential emergencies or disasters.

Emergency management in Ontario is a shared responsibility that includes individuals and families; unincorporated communities; First Nations, municipal, provincial, and federal governments; non-governmental organizations (NGOs); and other involved organizations such as the private sector and CI owners and operators.

Emergency management programs are risk-based programs consisting of prescribed elements that may include prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery activities. In Ontario, these programs generally include:

• emergency plans, which often include continuity of operations plans
• training for various emergency management activities
• public education on risks to public safety and on personal preparedness for emergencies

1.4.2. Ontario's emergency management governance

1.4.2.1. Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response

The Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response is responsible ^{footnote 3[3]} for administering the EMCPA, which is the overarching legislation for emergency management in Ontario.

1.4.2.2. Ministries and other provincial government bodies

Section 5.1 of the EMCPA sets requirements for emergency management programs for ministries and other provincial government bodies. Additional standards for emergency management programs are set out in Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 380/04, made in accordance with section 14 of the EMCPA.

The EMPCA authorizes the Lieutenant Governor in Council (LGIC) to assign a type of emergency to ministers, or an agency, board or commission. The LGIC has assigned these responsibilities under Order in Council (OIC) 1021/2025 ^{footnote 4[4]} .

Under OIC 1021/2025, all ministers are required to have an emergency plan “in respect of any emergency that affects the continuity of operations and services in their respective ministries.” This requirement is mirrored in section 7 of O. Reg. 380/04.

While the EMCPA and its regulation provide requirements for ministry emergency management programs, each ministry manages its own emergency programs according to its mandate. Some individual ministries have other emergency responsibilities under separate legislation, which is covered in their own emergency plans.

1.4.2.3. Municipalities

Section 2.1 of the EMCPA sets requirements for emergency management programs for municipalities. Additional standards for emergency management programs are set out in O. Reg. 380/04, made in accordance with section 14 of the EMCPA.

1.4.2.4. Cabinet Committee on Emergency Management

The EMCPA allows the LGIC to appoint from among the members of the Executive Council a committee to advise the LGIC on matters relating to emergencies. This cabinet advisory committee has been established as the Cabinet Committee on Emergency Management (CCEM) through OIC 443/2025.

1.4.2.5. Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response

The Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response (MEPR), under the leadership and direction of the Commissioner of Emergency Management ^{footnote 5[5]}(CEM), is responsible for monitoring, coordinating, and assisting in the development and implementation of emergency management programs for:

• provincial organizations: all ministries of the Government of Ontario and every agency, board, commission and other branch of government designated under the EMCPA by the LGIC
• municipalities in Ontario

Through agreements with the Government of Canada and First Nations in Ontario, MEPR also supports emergency management for First Nation communities.

MEPR is responsible for ensuring that emergency management programs in Ontario are co-ordinated in so far as possible with emergency management programs and emergency plans of the Government of Canada and its agencies. This includes providing support and assistance to the emergency management programs of municipalities and Ontario government organizations.

MEPR is also responsible for administering and implementing the PERP, and for operation of the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC).

The PEOC is the central coordination hub for the overall provincial emergency response organization (ERO). The provincial ERO is the collection of provincial organizations that are responsible for conducting emergency response actions in Ontario. The provincial ERO is made up of all the provincial organizations that are actively involved in an emergency response operation. The specific organizations that are active in the provincial ERO can vary, depending on the requirements of the emergency.

1.5. Glossary and acronyms

Acronyms and abbreviations are defined in Appendix A ^{footnote 2[2]}. Terms are defined in the glossary in Appendix B. ^{footnote 6[6]}

1.6. PERP reviews and revisions

The PERP shall be comprehensively reviewed and amended by MEPR at least once every 5 years. Updates may be required sooner than 5 years if directed by the Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response or the CEM.

The 5-year review process for the PERP shall include:

• appropriate consultations with stakeholders to ensure that the plan reflects current emergency management directives, changes to legislation and/or other changes to address best practice emergency management methodologies.
• a review of all after-action review reports (AAR), corrective action plans, improvement plans, and any other provincial government reports with recommendations relevant to the PERP produced since the last revision.
• an assessment of the existing capability to meet the requirements of the PERP.

MEPR shall review the PERP on an annual basis to identify any need for an early entry to the full review cycle, or to identify any administrative amendments that may need to be made. Administrative amendments may include minor updates such as changes to ministry names, corrections to fix grammar or typographical errors (typos), minor clarifications, and more. Administrative amendments to the plan may be made by MEPR between major revisions.

MEPR is responsible for ensuring that the most up-to-date version of the PERP is distributed to stakeholders in Ontario.