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Emergency Management Organization
Emergency Management Exemplary Service Awards
The 2026-2027 nomination period is now open. Deadline to submit nominations is April 30, 2026.
The Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award recognizes individuals and groups that distinguished themselves through their actions and contributions to advancing emergency management in Canada - to save lives, preserve the environment and protect property and the economy. Categories for the award include:
- Resilient Communities
- Youth
- Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Management
- Search and Rescue Employees
- Search and Rescue Volunteers
Each province, territory, and the federal government will put forward no more than five nominees for each of the non-search and rescue categories to a National General Selection Committee (GSC) for final selection. Successful nominations will reflect a sustained commitment to excellence in emergency management programming that is recognized by peers, or one or more highly significant contributions that are seen by emergency management leaders in Canada as worthy of national recognition.
Manitoba Nomination Process
Manitoba Emergency Management Organization (EMO) will be accepting nominations for the Resilient Communities, Youth and Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Management categories. Nominations will be open to both individuals and groups. Where an individual's achievement is related solely to participation in a group initiative, consideration should be given to nominating the group as a whole.
To nominate an individual or group to one of these categories, download and complete the nomination package below. Once all documents are completed, send your nominations to emo@gov.mb.ca by April 30, 2026. Nominations will not be accepted past this date.
Eligibility
Any person working/volunteering in the field of emergency management in Canada is eligible.
Nominations should be for initiatives and achievements undertaken in the past two calendar years (this requirement is waived for recognition of outstanding careers). In addition to new nominations, nominators are permitted to resubmit unsuccessful nominations for initiatives and achievements undertaken in the past two calendar years.
The narrative should provide clear and concise examples of how the nominee has contributed to the advancement of emergency management in Canada. Please include clear examples of their contributions using some or all of the following attributes of an effective emergency management professional:
- Leadership
- Communication
- Integrity
- Critical thinking and vision
- Collaboration and partnership
- Furthering the development of emergency management as a profession
- Applied research and technologies with far-reaching impacts
- Innovation
- Organizational excellence (service delivery, client service)
Resilient Communities Category Eligibility
The Resilient Communities category is intended for individuals or groups that have built resilient capacity through a process of empowering citizens, responders, organizations, communities, and governments to share the responsibility to keep hazards from becoming disasters.
Examples of achievements in this category can include excellence in:
- Contributing to an inclusive and all-of-society disaster risk management, including prevention and mitigation activities;
- Strengthening disaster risk governance and collaboration, including initiatives to encourage the participation of relevant stakeholders;
- Contributing to an improved understanding of disaster risk;
- Enhancing preparedness and recovery to build back better following a disaster (including physical infrastructure as well as enhancements and innovations to policies, plans, procedures and programs);
- Increasing investment in disaster reduction and mitigation through structural and non-structural measures;
- Developing effective campaigns for public awareness and education; and
- Enhancing disaster response capacity and coordination.
Youth Category Eligibility
The Youth category is intended to recognize volunteers and employees in the early stages of their careers. Rather than an age cut-off, eligibility is limited to candidates who are within five years of joining the EM community (whether voluntary or professional). The Youth category is for youth candidates, not for programs directed at youth.
Examples of achievements in this category can include excellence in:
- An academic contribution to the emergency management field;
- The course of one's duties in an emergency management profession; and
- The establishment of a community organization to advance emergency management
Outstanding Contribution to Emergency Management Category Eligibility
This category recognizes a sustained commitment to emergency management: for individuals, this can entail recognition of an outstanding career; for groups, this can entail recognition of an organization's remarkable contribution over a period of time.
Examples of achievements in this category can include excellence in:
- an emergency management career, at any level of government or other organization;
- an organization's contribution to public awareness of emergency preparedness or other aspect of emergency management; and
- outstanding contribution to the development, delivery, or advancement of emergency management.
Nomination Package
All documents below must be completed and sent to Manitoba EMO (by email or mail) by April 30, 2026. Please note that each nomination requires two written testimonials.
Selection and Award
A Manitoba Nomination Review Committee consisting of provincial and federal emergency management professionals will review each nomination package.
Additional Information
To learn more about the award categories and successful recipients in Manitoba and across Canada, please visit Public Safety Canada’s website: Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award.