For Immediate Release: September 3, 2009

(Toronto, ON) – The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police’s Emergency Preparedness Committee (OACP-EPC) is pleased to announce the adoption of the Incident Management System (IMS) as the recommended emergency preparedness system for Ontario police services.

The IMS is a standardized approach to emergency management encompassing personnel, facilities, equipment, procedures, and communications operating with a common organizational structure.

“The OACP shares in the vision that Ontario will have a standardized Incident Management System (IMS) that provides functional interoperability at all levels of emergency management.” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell, Co-Chair of the OACP-EPC.

One of the key goals of the OACP is to support increased efficiency among law enforcement agencies in the province for the protection and service of the people of Ontario.

“OACP members strongly backed IMS through a resolution at our Annual General Meeting in June,” said OACP-EPC Co-Chair Deputy Chief Peter Sloly of the Toronto Police Service. “We believe Ontarians expect their police services to work together and with government and other groups involved in emergency readiness and planning to ensure public safety in every Ontario community. Adoption of IMS across the province will help accomplish this important goal.”

On June 24, 2009, OACP members passed the following resolution:

PREAMBLE: Emergency incidents (natural and otherwise) are increasing in quantity and most certainly in complexity. Emergency preparedness is an increasing priority for police services. Public expectations about the police ability to respond to emergency incidents have also grown and the police cannot afford to lose public trust by mismanaging emergency incidents. 

WHEREAS Ontario police services need to enhance the ability to plan for, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergency incidents; and

WHEREAS Ontario police services need to adopt systems that allow for greater interoperability as it relates to emergency preparedness; and

WHEREAS there is presently no single common approach to emergency preparedness in Ontario despite the need for a standardized system that encompasses command, communication, operations, planning, logistics and finances; and

WHEREAS the Incident Management System (IMS) is an evidenced-based proven emergency preparedness system that provides solutions for all the issues and needs outlined above; and

WHEREAS IMS has been adopted by FEMA, 8 of 10 Canadian Provinces, the CACP Emergency Preparedness Committee, and several Ontario based police services; and

WHEREAS the MCSCS Office of Emergency Management Ontario produced a doctrine that adopts IMS as the best emergency preparedness system to achieve its desired end state of “seamless interoperability”.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police formally adopts IMS as the recommended emergency preparedness system for its member police services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the OACP will work with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services’ Emergency Management Ontario and other municipal, provincial, and federal stakeholders to ensure that Ontario police services are supported by appropriate emergency preparedness standards, training, resources, and funding.

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Issue Backgrounder

ISSUE:

Adoption of the Incident Management System (IMS) for Ontario Police Services

BACKGROUND:

Emergency incidents (natural and otherwise) are increasing in quantity and most certainly in complexity. Emergency preparedness is an increasing priority for police services. Public expectations about the police ability to respond to emergency incidents have also grown and the police cannot afford to lose public trust by mismanaging emergency incidents.

Following a series of significant events such as the 2003 Blackout, Ontario began the development of a common IMS to ensure a coordinated response to large-scale and complex emergency incidents. Consistent with North American best practices, the system provides standardized organizational structures, functions, processes, and terminology for use at all levels of response and by all emergency response organizations.

Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) and the OACP recognize that there is no single common approach to managing incidents in Ontario.

In March 2009, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police formed an Emergency Preparedness Committee (AOCP-EPC).  The mandate of this committee is to ensure an integrated Ontario police service approach to preparing for large scale events.

In July 2009, based on the recommendation of the OACP-EPC, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police passed a resolution to adopt the Incident Management System (IMS) as the recommended emergency preparedness system for its member police services.

The IMS is a standardized approach to emergency management encompassing personnel, facilities, equipment, procedures, and communications operating with a common organizational structure.

OACP Key Messages

•  The OACP strives to increase the efficiency of law enforcement agencies for the protection and service of the people of Ontario.
• The OACP is committed to improving emergency management and coordination with Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments and with partner agencies.
• The OACP shares the vision that Ontario will have a standardized incident management system (IMS) that provides functional interoperability at all levels of emergency management.  

 For more information, please contact:

Joe Couto
Director of Government Relations and Communications 
416-926-0424 ext. 22
jcouto@oacp.ca

For more information on IMS, please visit:

www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/english/professionals/IMS/ims.html