November 17, 2003

The City of Selkirk is the first Manitoba community to receive a certificate of recognition for exceeding emergency preparedness requirements, Scott Smith, minister responsible for the Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization (EMO), said today.

"I am pleased to recognize Selkirk for its effort and leadership in being the first community to ensure its emergency preparedness program is updated and, in fact, exceeds minimum requirements of the enhanced Emergency Measures Act," said Smith. "We encourage all communities to continue working on their plans and be prepared to respond to emergency situations."

All municipalities are to meet the new guidelines by April 2005. Programs must be approved by Manitoba EMO. Emergency programs would typically include response and recovery plans, training exercises and general awareness.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities participated in the development of the 60 basic requirements for the emergency program approved by EMO, the additional requirements to achieve certificate status and the compliance time line.

"The new requirements will also help keep elected officials updated on the subject of emergency preparedness, since programs must be reviewed and passed by council annually," said Smith.

Changes to the Emergency Measures Act were designed to ensure local authorities prepare and update emergency preparedness programs. The Security Management Act amended nine provincial acts, including the Emergency Measures Act, as part of an omnibus security management bill.

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