Emergency Management Unit

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This website is sponsored and maintained by the Emergency Management Unit (EMU). Its purpose is to outline the roles and projects of the Unit, and to provide information on a range of Emergency Management issues and activities.

The EMU exists to ensure that the provincial health system is capable of planning for, responding to and recovering from the impacts of extreme events, whether natural, accidental or intentional in nature.

The EMU leads and oversees the development and maintenance of emergency plans and procedures for the provincial health sector and, in the event of an emergency, is responsible for the management and coordination of the Ministry’s response, including:

• The resumption of mission-critical ministry functions, services, programs and operations within a reasonable time following the onset of the emergency;
• The provision of emergency-related direction and support to the regional health authorities;
• The coordination of an inter-regional, provincial response by the health sector;
• The coordination of the Emergency Management response with the provincial integrated response structure; and
• The continued provision of ambulance services to the province.

In its stewardship capacity, the EMU delivers a comprehensive Emergency Management System based on an all-hazard approach, which is integrally linked to many areas including: Ministry of Health Services programs, BC Ambulance Service, Office of the Provincial Health Officer, Regional Health Authorities, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), private industry, other ministries and emergency management organizations.