Our Approach

Emergency management is an organized and comprehensive approach and activities to deal with actual or potential emergencies.

The Ministry of Natural Resources emergency management approach is based on what are known as the five pillars of emergency management.

Five Pillars of Emergency Management

Mitigation

Actions taken to reduce the effects of an emergency. There are two categories, structural and non-structural. Examples of structural mitigation include building dams or re-enforcements. Examples of non-structural mitigation are public awareness/education and building codes.

 

Prevention

Actions taken to prevent the effects of an emergency. Examples include capital improvements, regulations, and public education programs.

 

Preparedness

Actions taken prior to an emergency or disaster to ensure an effective response. Preparedness measures include planning, training, exercises and public education.

 

Response

Actions taken to respond to an emergency or disaster. Examples include evacuations, establishing incident management teams and forest fire fighting.

 

Recovery

Actions taken to recover from an emergency or disaster. Recovery measures include environmental clean-up, return of evacuees and emergency financial assistance.

The focus on emergency management in the Ministry of Natural Resources is to ensure a proactive, coordinated and comprehensive approach to managing emergencies and reducing the risks associated with those hazards assigned to the Ministry.