National On-reserve All Hazards Emergency Management Plan

From the Deputy Minister

I am pleased to present the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) National On-reserve All Hazards Emergency Management Plan.

In partnership with First Nations communities, provincial and territorial governments and non-government organizations, we will continue to support eligible communities on reserve access to emergency assistance services.

First Nation communities have and continue to be significantly disproportionately affected by communicable diseases, increased weather events, and public health emergencies related to climate change, natural hazards, including major floods, forest fires, and hurricanes. This pattern reflects the increasing frequency and intensity of emergencies throughout Canada.

We must work to address the legacy of colonial practices that have led to different exposures, impacts, and capacities to respond to and recover from emergencies facing First Nations. This has contributed to First Nation communities being more vulnerable to natural hazards due to their geographic remoteness, low population density, and associated capacity gaps.

Using the fundamental principles of reconciliation, we will continue to work together to improve access to high quality emergency management services for eligible First Nations communities on reserve. This important work will enable us to build climate resiliency, support self-determination and Indigenous-led service delivery, and to address the fundamental issue of closing socio-economic gaps.

Gina Wilson
Deputy Minister, Indigenous Services Canada

Section 1: Introduction

The Indigenous Services Canada National On-reserve All Hazards Emergency Management Plan presents an overview of the relevant federal authorities and jurisdictions related to Emergency Management and defines the roles and responsibilities of ISC in working with provincial and territorial governments to ensure that on-reserve First Nations have access to emergency assistance services comparable to those available elsewhere in Canada.

Through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP), the department provides funding to First Nations communities so they can build resiliency, prepare for natural hazards and respond to them using the 4 pillars of emergency management:

• mitigation
• preparedness
• response
• recovery

As the department provides funding for emergency management services, the scope of the plan includes an overview of the role of ISC. The National On-reserve Emergency Management Plan is meant to provide an overview of the department's role in emergency management for eligible, on-reserve First Nation communities at a national level. Indigenous Services Canada Regional Offices have developed and maintain their own plans outlining important information regarding emergency management in their respective regions.

The federal government plays an important role in the delivery of emergency management services to First Nations communities. This includes 2 aspects of health emergencies:

1. Public health emergencies, such as the spread of communicable diseases (COVID-19, measles, HIV, syphilis, TB and so on) pandemics, food and water borne outbreaks, environmental health hazards (water contamination, air quality, and so on), and other health emergencies such as suicide clusters and opioid crises.
2. Health aspects of natural disasters, including risks related to the continuity of health care for those with existing medical conditions, as well as the public health and mental wellness impacts of community evacuations and emergencies.

The Emergency Management Plan is intended to be used to make informed decisions and take concrete actions to assist First Nations communities with managing the risks related to emergencies.

Section 2: Risk environment

ISC's risk environment is consistent with Canada's risk environment which includes natural and human-induced (both intentional and unintentional) hazards such as wildland and urban-interface fires, floods, hazardous material spills, transportation accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, health emergencies and major power outages.

The most common emergencies affecting First Nations are floods, fires and failures of community infrastructure, for example, winter roads, bridges, water sources, housing due to natural hazards or accident and extreme weather events.

Each region faces its own particular risk environment. More detailed information on each regions' risk assessments can be found in their individual emergency management plans.

Section 3: Scope

This Plan applies to emergencies that have the potential to threaten the health, safety and security of First Nations communities and outlines ISC's approach to supporting emergency management on First Nation communities. It is not meant to replace provincial, territorial regional or community procedures and plans but merely to complement them from a federal perspective.

In Canada, 4 pillars of emergency management have been adopted and are taken into consideration in all aspects of emergency planning and operations:

• Prevention and mitigation – Actions taken to adapt to, eliminate or reduce the risks of disasters in order to protect lives, property, the environment, and reduce economic disruption. Prevention and mitigation may be considered independently or one may include the other.
• Preparedness – Actions taken to be ready to respond to a disaster and manage its consequences through measures taken prior to an event, for example emergency response plans, mutual assistance agreements, resource inventories and training, public awareness activities, equipment and exercise programs for emergency management plans.
• Response – Actions taken immediately before, during or after an emergency to manage its consequences and minimize its impacts. Response activities may include emergency public communication, search and rescue, emergency medical assistance and evacuations to minimize suffering and losses associated with disasters.
• Recovery – Actions taken to repair or restore conditions to an acceptable level through measures taken after a disaster. For example, return of evacuees, trauma counseling, reconstruction, economic impact studies and financial assistance. There is a strong relationship between long-term sustainable recovery and prevention and mitigation of future disasters and recovery actions should be conducted with a view towards building back better and disaster risk reduction.

ISC supports First Nations in mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities. Emergencies that are within the scope of ISC's responsibilities can be defined as immediate threats to health, safety and business continuity on First Nations reserves. In brief, the objectives of ISC's approach to emergency management in First Nations communities are to:

• ensure that First Nations have access to emergency assistance services comparable to those available to other residents in their respective province or territory
• protect the health and safety of First Nation communities and individuals
• meet ISC's obligations under the Emergency Management Act
• protect First Nations lands, property, infrastructure and other assets and the environment
• mitigate the risks of emergencies in First Nation communities through proactive measures
• ensure a coordinated national approach to emergency management in First Nation communities
• enhance the capacity of First Nation communities to effectively address emergency situations
• reduce economic and social losses for First Nation communities
• provide guidance for ISC's emergency management planning and operations to Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) in the North

Incidents which impact ISC employees and/or assets, or which are directly related to internal departmental business continuity planning are outside the scope of this current document. Events which have the potential to impact the health, safety and business continuity of ISC assets and employees fall under the scope of ISC's Administration Services Branch's Security and Emergency Services and National Accommodation Directorates. These Directorates are responsible for the safety of ISC employees and assets, and safeguarding of information as per the Policy on Government Security. The Security and Accommodation Division also works with the Corporate Services Branch to help implement business continuity protocols when necessary.

Other stakeholders also have a role to play in emergency management in First Nations communities, as summarized in the Roles and Responsibilities section below.

Section 4: Roles and responsibilities

Emergency management can involve a number of different stakeholders, each with their own roles and responsibilities. Depending on the circumstances, assistance is sought from local, provincial and territorial authorities, with provincial and territorial governments requesting federal government support for emergencies that are beyond their capacity. ISC supports First Nations to sit at Federal/Provincial/Territorial/First Nations tables for co-planning to ensure that on-reserve First Nations communities have access to emergency assistance services comparable to those available elsewhere in Canada.

Section 5: Financial management

ISC is responsible for all costs for emergency events on-reserve and to other eligible communities

The Emergency Management Assistance Program, the Capital Facilities Maintenance Program and the First Nation Infrastructure Fund are the key federal funding agents for the 4 pillars of emergency management for on-reserve lands. The Emergency Management Assistance Program funds non-structural mitigation, preparedness and response and recovery costs, whereas the Capital Facilities Maintenance Program and the First Nations Infrastructure Fund provide investments in structural mitigation infrastructure.

With the exception of upfront service agreement funding for provincial, territorial and third-party service providers; wildfire management services funding and First Nation capacity enhancement funding, the Emergency Management Assistance Program funding for emergency preparedness and non-structural mitigation projects is distributed annually to ISC Regional Offices based on a risk based formula. Allocations to recipients are proposal based. The program's funding is based on a claim submission. All proposals and claims are to be submitted to and reviewed by the appropriate ISC Regional Office and then forwarded to ISC Headquarters for final review and approval. All costs must be defensible and align with the Emergency Management Program's Terms and Conditions as well as provincial and territorial norms.

Funding for structural mitigation projects is disbursed in accordance with established arrangements under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program, the First Nations Infrastructure Fund and more specifically, through ISC's annual capital planning process. Potential projects are placed on the First Nation Infrastructure Investment Plan for ISC staff to review against internal ranking frameworks and local needs and priorities to guide investment decisions.

Appendix A: Glossary

All-hazards:

Emergency management in Canada adopts an all-hazards approach by addressing vulnerabilities exposed by both natural and human-induced hazards and disasters. This also includes the health aspects of emergencies caused by natural or accidental hazards and public health emergencies, including outbreaks, mental health and other social emergencies. This approach increases efficiency by recognizing and integrating common emergency management elements across all hazard types and then supplementing these common elements with hazard-specific sub-components to fill gaps only as required. It emphasizes the leveraging of synergies common across hazards and maintaining a streamlined and robust emergency management system and improves the ability of emergency management activities to address unknown hazards or risks.

Disaster:

Essentially a social phenomenon that results when a hazard intersects with a vulnerable community in a way that exceeds or overwhelms the community's ability to cope and may cause serious harm to the safety, health, welfare, property or environment of people. This may be triggered by a naturally occurring phenomenon which has its origins within the geophysical or biological environment or by human action or error, whether malicious or unintentional, including technological failures, accidents and terrorist acts.

Emergency:

A present or imminent event that requires prompt coordination of actions concerning persons or property to protect the health, safety or welfare of people, or to limit damage to property or the environment.

Emergency management plan:

As defined in the Emergency Management Act, a program, arrangement or other measure for dealing with an emergency by the civil population, or for dealing with a civil emergency by the Canadian Forces in accordance with the National Defence Act.

First Nation:

A term that came into common usage in the 1970s. Although the term First Nation is widely used, no legal definition of it exists. The term "First Nation" is used to replace the word "Band" in the name of a community.

Hazard:

A potentially damaging physical event, phenomenon or human activity that may cause the loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental degradation.

Non-government organization:

A non-profit organization that is based on the interests of its members (individuals, or institutions) that is not created by government, but may work cooperatively with government. Such organizations serve a public purpose, not a private benefit. Examples of non-governmental organizations include faith-based charity organizations and the Canadian Red Cross.

Risk:

The combination of the likelihood and the consequence of a specified hazard being realized. This refers to the vulnerability, proximity or exposure to hazards, which affects the likelihood of an adverse impact.

Situational awareness:

The continual process of collecting, analyzing and disseminating intelligence, information or knowledge. This process allows organizations and individuals to anticipate requirements and to respond effectively.

Structural mitigation infrastructure:

Physical infrastructure built to reduce or mitigate the possible impact of hazards. This includes the application of engineering techniques toward hazard resistance and resilience in structures or systems.