Minister Releases Provincial Emergency Management Plan

The Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services – Newfoundland and Labrador (FES-NL), today (Friday, February 8) released the Provincial Emergency Management Plan (PEMP), which outlines the Provincial Government’s strategy for responding to emergency events.

“Our government took the progressive step in 2009 to introduce legislation which required community emergency management plans and a Provincial Emergency Management Plan,” said Minister O’Brien. “The Emergency Services Act has helped to improve the state of readiness throughout our province. As a result of the Act, communities and Provincial Government departments examined risks and developed contingency plans to guide actions in a potential emergency. After familiarizing many of our departments and agencies with their roles in the PEMP, I am pleased to make this document available to the public which will be regularly updated and maintained.”

The PEMP serves as the provincial strategy to direct an integrated, inter-governmental approach to emergency management within Newfoundland and Labrador. It establishes FES-NL as the coordinating body for the government’s emergency management plans and as the entity that ensures all partners work within a common framework. The plan takes an all-hazards approach, which provides a framework to manage an event regardless of the type of emergency, and is designed to ensure the protection of people, property, communities, environment and economies from the effects of emergencies and disasters.

The PEMP can be found on the FES-NL website or by the following link: www.gov.nl.ca/fes/publications/index.html

“We have also established a Provincial Emergency Management Plan Committee consisting of departmental representatives from key areas of the Provincial Government who are called upon most often to respond in an emergency event,” noted Minister O’Brien. “The committee meets regularly to discuss approaches and polices, and to keep the lines of communication open amongst all departments. The threat of Hurricane Leslie last September was an excellent example of how emergency management planning works, as this plan was instrumental in helping departments and agencies coordinate their efforts.”

Also as required by the Emergency Services Act, Provincial Government departments and agencies have been engaged in a business continuity planning process to ensure the timely restoration of critical government services should they be impacted in an emergency. Minister O’Brien said the Provincial Government will exercise its own emergency management and business continuity plans this year, to ensure all plans are relevant, accurate and appropriate.

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Media contact:
Cheryl Gullage
Public Relations Specialist
Fire and Emergency Services – Newfoundland and Labrador
709-729-0857, 631-9962
CherylGullage@gov.nl.ca

2013 02 08                                 10:45 a.m.