Department of Emergency Management Awards
Nominations for all five awards are open from 6 May 2026 until 30 June 2026.
About the awards
The Department of Emergency Management is excited to have nominations open for its inaugural Emergency Management Awards. These awards recognize the exceptional achievements and contributions of individuals and teams that have significantly enhanced emergency preparedness, response and recovery across Nova Scotia.
Work or emergency response that occurred on or after 1 January 2024 is eligible for nomination.
Award categories
A specialty committee will evaluate each nomination that is received.
Minister's Award for Community Preparedness
The Minister’s Award for Community Preparedness recognizes teams or individuals who have taken action to help citizens, first responders and/or communities to better prepare for and adapt to hazards facing them and work together to create a culture of preparedness.
The award recognizes those who develop innovative solutions to public safety challenges and show leadership in promoting community preparedness and supporting vulnerable populations.
To be eligible, nominees must:
- be a resident(s) of Nova Scotia
- be willing to be nominated
Premier's Award for Volunteer Excellence
The Premier’s Award for Volunteer Excellence recognizes an outstanding volunteer who has shown exceptional leadership in the Nova Scotia Guard and/or other volunteer organizations. Recipients will have demonstrated a commitment to providing assistance in local emergencies (“Bluenoser way”) or having supported emergency management strategies or preparedness at the community level.
To be eligible, nominees must:
- be a resident(s) of Nova Scotia
- be willing to be nominated
Youth Award
The Youth Award recognizes young people aged 16 to 24 who are contributing to public safety and the important voice they bring to these situations.
Nova Scotia has examples of youth stepping up to participate in programs and bring awareness about emergency preparedness in the province.
To be eligible, nominees must:
- be a resident of Nova Scotia
- be between the ages of 16 to 24
- be willing to be nominated
Partners Award
The Partners Award recognizes those organizations that work together to make a significant difference or impact in emergency management preparedness, response or recovery at the community or regional level.
Nova Scotians know that one organization alone cannot respond to an emergency and this award celebrates the collaboration that is seen across the province.
To be eligible, nominees must:
- be a resident of Nova Scotia
- be willing to be nominated
This award can be presented to an organization or a group of people who took action within an organization.
Mentorship Award
The Mentorship Award recognizes an individual that has demonstrated excellence in mentorship in the emergency management realm.
Preparing the future generation to respond responsibly and efficiently to emergency situations is an important goal and this award acknowledges the hard work happening.
To be eligible, nominees must:
- be a resident of Nova Scotia
- be willing to be nominated
Eligibility
Applicants can nominate themselves, another individual or a team of people/an organization for an award.
To ensure that the person or group you are nominating is eligible, refer to the award description above that you are nominating them for. All nominees must be residents of Nova Scotia, but some awards have other specific criteria that must be met.
You can only nominate people for the work they did from 2024 to 2026. Work or emergency response that occurred on or after 1 January 2024 is eligible for nomination.
Deadline or important dates
Nominations for the Department of Emergency Management Awards will be open until 30 June 2026.
Winners will be announced at an in-person ceremony in Fall 2026.
How to apply
To apply, fill out the online nomination form and follow the instructions to submit.
If you require a printable copy to fill out, download the Emergency Management Awards nomination form (PDF), then submit it by email to demawards@novascotia.ca.