B.C. seeking input on future of Emergency Program Act

The province of British Columbia is seeking input on the future of the Emergency Program Act (EPA) through an online public engagement website. The site will be open until Friday, Feb. 19 at 4 p.m. PDT, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement on Monday.

The engagement site provides information about the EPA, which sets out key responsibilities and authorities to guide and enable experts at the local and provincial levels in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies and disasters.

A discussion paper, titled Prepared and Resilient, relates to the legislative framework for emergency management in B.C. that follows up with ongoing consultations done across government. The online discussion also sets out challenges in the current legislation, as well as proposals for possible changes, reflecting recent changes some Canadian jurisdictions have made to modernize their emergency management laws.

The specific challenges presented in the consultation fall into one of three discussion areas, with each including proposals for possible changes to the EPA:

1) Modernizing fundamental concepts and structure of the EPA:

• Phases of emergency management (prevention, preparedness, response and recovery);

• Definition of emergency and disaster; and

• Definition of local authority.

2) Clarifying roles and responsibilities:

• Emergency Management BC;

• Provincial emergency planning, response and recovery responsibilities;

• Ministerial authority to direct emergency planning; and

• Provincial authority for private sector and non-government agencies.

3) Supporting emergency response and recovery:

• Shared responsibilities for emergency response;

• State of emergency;

• Evacuation orders; and

• Employment protection.

The statement noted that while best practices in the field of emergency management in B.C. and elsewhere have evolved significantly over the past two decades, the EPA has remained largely unchanged since its introduction in 1993. It has never been the subject of a full and open review until now.

Stakeholder input can be submitted to citizenengagement@gov.bc.ca.

“The input and feedback that will be received from interested British Columbians on the challenges and proposals outlined in the discussion paper will best inform the development of any changes to the law, creating legislation that supports a prepared and resilient province,” the statement concluded.