Provincial Preparedness Programs

Emergency management and public safety for a province as large and diverse as Manitoba requires an all hazard approach to prepare for hazards and issues. Manitoba is actively engaged in emergency preparedness and response planning through the development of legislation and policy to guide the province and local authorities through the phases of emergency management. 

While municipalities are responsible for emergency management activities within their boundaries, Manitoba is required to provide oversight, support and leadership through preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery operations.

In this section, you will find information on the provincial government's emergency management systems:

Manitoba Emergency Plan

The Manitoba Emergency Plan (MEP) is the basic all-hazards coordination plan for an “all of government” response to major emergencies and disasters with the Province, regardless of the cause or hazard. Although the MEP is primarily directed to provincial departments, it also contains information important to guide non-government organizations (NGOs), local authorities, and federal agencies through provincial preparedness and response.

Annexes to the Manitoba Emergency Plan

Provincial Hazards, Risks and Vulnerabilities

Emergency Preparedness in Manitoba

Manitoba’s diverse landscape, from arctic tundra to vast boreal forest and large bodies of water to expansive prairies brings unique challenges in emergency management. Hazards, risk and vulnerabilities vary, locally and regionally, from corner to corner in the province with changes in geography and demographics.

Natural hazards like flooding, severe weather and wildfire occur every year in Manitoba. Residents and local authorities should be familiar with how to prepare and respond to the usual hazards. The COVID-19 pandemic, a type of natural hazard, required, and still requires, new and ongoing coordinated response efforts across many sectors that has never been experienced before.  Manitobans must continue to learn, prepare and respond as the emergency management environment evolves and climate changes.

Technological hazards, like power outages, communication outages, infrastructure failures and structure fires, while common, have varying impacts from fleeting moments to extended periods with compounding issues that require a more complex response.

It is important to understand both the probability and severity of the natural and human-induced hazards in the area you work and live. A basic level of ‘all hazard’ emergency planning can be modified to manage emergencies as they arise and improve individual and community resilience to disaster.