Civil Emergency Planning Regulations
made under Section 25 of the
Emergency Management Act
S.N.S. 1990, c. 8
O.I.C. 71-764 (effective August 10, 1971), N.S. Reg. 82/1971
amended to O.I.C. 2003-145 (effective April 4, 2003), N.S. Reg. 82/2003
1 The Government of Nova Scotia recognizes the need for planning to meet both major
peacetime disaster and war emergency. To meet this need, the departments listed below
shall have designated planning responsibilities:
the Emergency Measures Organization (NS)
the Department of Attorney General
the Department of Public Health
the Department of Public Welfare
the Department of Finance and Economics
the Department of Trade and Industry
the Department of Highways
the Department of Public Works
the Department of Municipal Affairs
the Department of Labour
the Department of Agriculture
the Department of Lands and Forests
the Nova Scotia Power Commission
the Nova Scotia Civil Service Commission
the Nova Scotia Purchasing Agency
the Department of Mines
the Nova Scotia Water Resources Commission.
2 The Deputy Ministers or permanent heads of all departments and agencies shall ensure
that necessary planning is carried out within their departments to enable their department
or agency to continue its proper functions under any emergency conditions or major
peacetime disaster, and coordinated as necessary with the planning of the federal and
municipal levels of government.
3 All departments and agencies that have been assigned specific planning responsibilities
(para 4) shall
(a) assess their potential disaster problems and related disaster functions, and
determine the capability of their department or agency to meet peacetime
disaster or war emergency;
(b) develop staff call-out and mobilization procedures;
(c) prepare staff instructions, emergency orders and regulations, and essential
records that may be required for peacetime disaster or war emergency;
(d) develop and conduct in-service training programs as required;
(e) prepare a departmental disaster plan for inclusion in the overall Provincial
Disaster Plan.
4 In addition to the above general duties,
A the Emergency Measures Organization of Nova Scotia shall
(a) develop in conjunction with Provincial departments and agencies, and federal
and municipal authorities, a program to ensure the continuity of government
in a war emergency, to include
(b)(i) plans for the emergency relocation of government,
(ii) the designation of officials for specific duties in an emergency,
(iii) plans for the manning of emergency government headquarters and
relocation units,
(iv) plans for storage of essential records;
(c) prepare a radiological defence (RADEF) plan and organize a RADEF
capability for the Province, and assist the municipalities in the preparation of
complementary plans;
(d) coordinate civil emergency planning and training by departments, agencies
and crown corporations of the Government of Nova Scotia;
(e) coordinate and assist the civil emergency planning, organization and training
by the municipalities;
(f) plan civil emergency measures with regard to those matters not the specific
responsibility of any department, agency or crown corporation of the
Government of Nova Scotia;
(g) within guidelines agreed upon with federal authorities make liaison with and
plan for joint operations with adjacent provinces where necessary for civil
emergencies;
(h) establish guidelines for training and exercises to be carried out by Provincial
departments, agencies and crown corporations;
(i) be responsible for the overall control and budgeting of all monies to be
expended on civil emergency planning commensurate with federal policy, by
Provincial departments and agencies, and on behalf of municipalities, under
the Federal-Provincial Financial Assistance Program;
(j) coordinate Provincial emergency operations during proclaimed peacetime
disasters;
B the Department of Attorney General shall
(a) be responsible for the administration of law and order during any type of an
emergency through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and municipal police
forces;
(b) be responsible for the coordination of emergency legislation and regulations
required by the Provincial departments and agencies both for peacetime
disasters and war emergencies;
(c) through the RCM Police, develop a Provincial Emergency Police Services
Plan to provide effective police protection in the reception and non-stricken
areas of the Province. Without in any way limiting the scope, such a plan
shall include and provide for the
(i) effective use of all police resources in the Province,
(ii) preservation of law and order and the prevention of panic,
(iii) control and direction of traffic on highways, roads and streets,
(iv) patrol of restricted areas and the safeguarding of vital resources and
services;
(d) prepare an Emergency Police Services Planning Guide outlining the principles
and procedures which are to be followed by all the police of the Province and
issue a copy to all concerned;
(e) provide the services of the Chief Medical Examiner to the Department of
Public Health for the development and operation of an Emergency Mortuary
Plan;
(f) provide for the evacuation of jails where found necessary and in such
instances provide for the reception of inmates in some other secure
accommodation;
C the Department of Public Health shall
(a) in conjunction with the federal Department of National Health and Welfare,
plan for the establishment and operation of a Provincial Emergency Health
Service including the planning, organization and operation of emergency
hospitals, advance treatment centres and casualty collecting units;
(b) assist hospitals, geriatric centres, and nursing homes in developing disaster
plans;
(c) assist the Emergency Measures Organization of Nova Scotia in the
development of a program for instruction and training of all Provincial and
municipal employees who will be concerned in the control and detection of
radioactive contamination and fallout;
(d) effect a close liaison with the Nova Scotia Water Resources Commission of in
matters affecting emergency sanitation procedures within the Emergency
Health Services plan;
D the Department of Public Welfare shall
(a) in conjunction with the federal Department of National Health and Welfare,
plan for the establishment and operation of a Provincial Emergency Welfare
Service including emergency lodging, feeding, clothing, registration and
inquiry and personal services;
(b) be responsible for organization, planning and operation of sheltered
congregate lodging of dependents of those personnel who are required to be at
a place of duty immediately prior to, during and after the enemy attack on
North America until such time as it is deemed safe for them to return to their
homes;
(c) be responsible for the feed and dormitory arrangements for personnel in
relocation units and Zone Emergency Government Headquarters;
(d) plan for the continuity of peacetime welfare services during a major
proclaimed disaster or a war emergency;
E the Department of Finance and Economics shall
(a) plan procedures and facilities to enable the department to continue its
functions under emergency conditions in a war emergency;
(b) plan for the disbursement of monies to cover the needs of all departments
under major, proclaimed peacetime disaster or war emergency;
(c) plan for the establishment of a schedule of priority to be given to the various
competing demands likely to be made of the government at a time when there
are limited financial and economic resources as a result of a war emergency;
(d) ensure the preservation of departmental essential records, such records to
include the payroll of all public servants to obviate the necessity of
duplication at each departmental level, and superannuation records;
(e) effect a close liaison with the federal Department of Finance on matters of
mutual concern to ensure
(i) that federal government emergency monetary policy decisions are fully
known, particularly as they may affect the Government of Nova Scotia
and the citizens of the Province,
(ii) that the financial interests of the Nova Scotia Government are fully
protected,
(iii) that the facilities and staff of the department may be made available to
the federal Department of Finance, if required, for the administration of
emergency monetary policy in Nova Scotia;
F the Department of Trade and Industry shall
(a) in conjunction with the Emergency Supply Planning Branch of the federal
Department of Services and Supply, assist in the planning for the
establishment of a War Supplies Agency;
(b) be responsible through the departmental Information Service for the
development of an Emergency Public Information Service for use in a war
emergency;
G the Department of Highways shall
(a) plan for the repair, maintenance and construction of all roads, bridges and
highways as may be required in a major peacetime disaster or war emergency;
(b) in conjunction with the federal Department of Public Works and the
Provincial Department of Public Works plan for the wartime control of all
highway engineer resources;
(c) in conjunction with the Canada Emergency Management Organization and
Emergency Measures Organization of Nova Scotia plan for the allocation and
control of all vehicle transport in Nova Scotia through the formation of a road
transport control organization;
(d) be responsible for the planning of the control, maintenance and repair of all
available heavy road building equipment in Nova Scotia, in a war emergency;
(e) supply emergency radio communications by means of existing radio network;
H the Department of Public Works shall
(a) in conjunction with the federal Department of Public Works, the Nova Scotia
Department of Public Works [sic] and the Canada and Nova Scotia
Emergency Measures Organization, assist in the planning for the wartime
control of engineering and construction resources;
(b) in conjunction with other departments and agencies and the Department of
Municipal Affairs with regard to emergency wartime control of
accommodation, plan for the emergency use of all accommodation that may
be required in peacetime disaster or war emergency;
J The Department of Municipal Affairs shall
(a) in conjunction with the federal Department of Public Works, plan for the
establishment of a Wartime Emergency Accommodation Control Agency;
(b) in conjunction with other departments and agencies and the Department of
Public Works in particular, plan for the emergency use of all accommodation
that may be required in a major peacetime disaster or war emergency;
K the Department of Labour shall
(a) in conjunction with the federal Department of Manpower and Immigration,
plan for the effective use of manpower in the Province in a war emergency;
(b) plan for the continuing functions of the Department in a war emergency;
(c) in conjunction with the Civil Service Commission and the federal Department
of Manpower and Immigration , plan to augment the staff of those Provincial
departments which have a role in national emergency from the resources of
those departments not so committed;
(d) through the office of the Provincial Fire Marshal develop a Provincial Fire
Plan, including a comprehensive training program for auxiliary and volunteer
firemen and for the control and direction of the Nova Scotia Emergency Fire
Service;
L the Department of Agriculture and Marketing shall
(a) in conjunction with the federal Department of Agriculture, plan for a joint
federal-Provincial organization to be responsible for
(i) the provision of advice and guidance to farmers on the protection for
farms, crops and livestock against wartime hazards and radiation,
(ii) the inspections and regulatory functions relating to
(A) the quality and wholesomeness of food, except fishery produce,
(B) the freedom of such food from an unacceptable degree of
radioactive contamination,
(C) plant, animal, insect and disease control;
(b) train and direct departmental field staff and administrative staff to this end;
M the Department of Lands and Forests shall
(a) plan for the protection, control and regulation of the forest[s] and wildlife of
Nova Scotia;
(b) determine the extent of damage to the forests and wildlife of the Province;
(c) control all forest fires;
(d) assist local fire departments in extinguishing building fires in towns, village
and rural areas;
(e) supply emergency radio communications by means of existing radio network;
N the Nova Scotia Power Commission shall
(a) in conjunction with the Emergency Supply Planning Board, plan for the
continued distribution of electrical power during a war emergency;
(b) plan for the maintenance and repair of all electrical utilities in a war
emergency;
(c) review the electrical distributions system with regard to vulnerability to the
effects of nuclear weapons and sabotage and develop plans for the hardening
of the system during a period of strategic warning prior to attack;
O the Nova Scotia Civil Service Commission shall
(a) in conjunction with the Department of Labour and the federal Department of
Manpower and Immigration, plan for and be responsible to provide or request
such specialist personnel as may be required by other departments in order to
continue to carry out their normal functions in a proclaimed major peacetime
disaster or war emergency;
(b) in conjunction with the Department of Labour and the federal Department of
Manpower and Immigration, plan the procedures and the operation of an
emergency manpower service in a war emergency;
P the Nova Scotia Purchasing Agency shall
(a) in cooperation with the Emergency Supply Planning Board, be responsible for
the development of plans and procedures for emergency operations supply of
the Government of Nova Scotia in a war emergency;
(b) in conjunction with the Emergency Measures Organization of Nova Scotia, be
responsible for the development of plans and procedures for emergency
operations supplies in a proclaimed major peacetime disaster;
Q the Department of Mines shall
(a) in conjunction with the Department of Highways and in cooperation with the
federal Department of Manpower and Immigration, plan for the effective use
of the resources of equipment and manpower of the Department of Mines by
the Department of Highways, less all diamond drills and crew;
(b) plan for the effective use of diamond drills and crews in search and
production of potable water, under direction from the Regional Emergency
Government Headquarters;
R the Nova Scotia Water Resources Commission shall
(a) plan to ensure the maintenance and repair of municipal sewage systems, under
major peacetime emergency conditions or war emergency;
(b) provide advice and assistance to municipal authorities in the development of
emergency plans to safeguard water and sewage systems, and in the testing of
water supplies, to ensure they are safe for human consumption;
(c) provide advice and assistance regarding the location and use of emergency
ground and service water supplies suitable for firefighting, medical, human
consumption, decontamination and emergency industrial priority needs
according to the radiological count in each area;
(d) interpret fallout radioactivity danger regarding the closing down of municipal
works dependent on supplies of surface water;
(e) provide advice and assistance for the reactivation of municipal water and
sewage disposal systems after close-down and advice in the treatment of
concentrations of radiological activity in these systems; and
(f) establish a close liaison with the Department of Public Health in matters
affecting emergency sanitation procedures within the Emergency Health
Services Plan.
5 Departments and agencies which have not been assigned definite planning responsibilities
shall
(a) in conjunction with the Civil Service Commission, make selected members of
their staff available upon request to augment the staffs of departments,
agencies and emergency organizations engaged in peacetime disaster
operations or war emergency;
(b) prepare staff instructions, emergency orders and regulations and essential
records, to enable their staff to disperse should the order be given.
6 The basis of all planning is simplicity and practicability. By using existing personnel and
resources, unnecessary organization will be avoided. If each department and agency
carries out their emergency planning responsibilities, their functions will be able to be
continued under any circumstances, and if ever required the benefits to Nova Scotia
would be invaluable.
The
following regulations are not yet in force and are not included in the current
consolidation: