Figure I: Nuclear and radiological emergency response planning structure

  • Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act
  • Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan
    Master Plan
  • Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan
    Implementing Plans
    • Major nuclear sites
    • Other radiological emergencies
    • Transborder emergencies
  • Major organization plans
    • Provincial ministries, agencies, boards and commissions
    • Municipalities
    • Nuclear organizations
    • Other
  • Procedures
  • Checklists

Download printer-friendly Planning Structure Diagram (PNG, 35 KB).

The structure for nuclear and radiological emergency response planning in Ontario, illustrated on the previous page, consists of the following components:

  1. The Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) requires and authorizes the formulation of the plan.
  2. The Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan (PNERP); developed pursuant to Section 8 of the EMCPA and subject to Cabinet approval:
    • The Master Plan: sets out the overall principles, policies, basic concepts, organizational structures and responsibilities.
    • The Implementing Plans: the elements of the Master Plan are applied to each major nuclear site, transborder emergencies and other types of radiological emergencies, and detailed provincial implementing plans developed. The major organization plans (as per Figure I on page ii) should be consistent with the requirements of these implementing plans.
  3. Major organization plans: Each major organization involved (provincial ministries, agencies, boards and commissions, municipalities, and nuclear organizations, etc.) develops its own plan to carry out the relevant roles, responsibilities and tasks consistent with their mandate. These plans are based on, and should be consistent with the PNERP and its Implementing Plans.
  4. Procedures: Based on all of the above plans, procedures are developed for the various emergency centres to be set up and for the various operational functions required.
  5. Checklists: The culmination of the planning process is the development of checklists based on the requirements of the procedures, e.g., individual position or function-specific checklists.

All emergency organizations involved in the preparation and implementation of the Provincial Nuclear Emergency Response Plan should employ common terminology. The terminology contained in the Glossary, Annex K, should be used for this purpose by all concerned. Words or phrases defined in the Glossary are italicized within the text of this document.