POH 407

• In Canada, emergency management adopts an all-hazards approach to address both natural and human-induced hazards and disasters. These are increasing in both number and frequency across the world, resulting in ever growing human suffering and economic cost. Canada is not immune to these events.
• Natural and human-induced hazards and disasters have become more prevalent in urban and rural communities. Human-induced hazards, such as terrorist attacks and hazard material incidents are likely to persist.
• Most emergencies in Canada are local in nature and are managed by municipalities and communities, or at the provincial or territorial level.
• A large portion of Canadian chemicals are manufactured in Ontario therefore many communities have a hazardous facility located within their boundaries.
• A majority of road and rail accidents involving hazardous products occur in Ontario
• 40% of Ontario’s power comes from nuclear generation. 
• Emergency is a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise
• Emergency is a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise
• Hazard may be a substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage
• Emergency management is the organized activities undertaken to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from actual or potential emergencies
• Public health emergency management is the organized activities undertaken to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from actual or potential public health aspects of emergencies such as public health emergencies (e.g., infectious disease emergency) or emergencies with public health impacts (e.g., food safety concerns during power outages; safe water concerns during flooding)
• Emergency management program: A risk-based program consisting of prescribed elements that may include prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities.
• Emergency plan: A plan developed and maintained to direct an organization’s external and/or internal response to an emergency.
• Hazard Identification: A structured process for identifying those hazards which exist within a selected area and defining their causes and characteristics.
• Emergencies area caused by hazards
• Categories of Hazards

  Natural - Resulting from the forces of nature
• Categories of Hazards

  Human caused - Direct result of human actions
• Categories of Hazards

  Technological - Resulting from the manufacture, transportation and use of technology or certain substances
• Natural hazards are those resulting from acts of nature, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornadoes and disease outbreaks or epidemics.
• Human-caused hazards are those resulting from the intentional or unintentional actions of humans. This type of hazard can be malicious in its intention, or it can be the result of an poor oversight, an accident, or incompetence or inexperience.
• Technological hazards are hazards originating from technological or industrial conditions, including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures or specific human activities, that may cause loss of life, injury, illness or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.