Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan Part 1: Master Plan

7. Departmantal Responsibilities for Nuclear Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response

7.1 Emergency Planning and Preparedness

In order to achieve and maintain an adequate level of preparedness for nuclear emergencies, all federal departments and agencies involved, either as primary or supporting organization both in headquarters and regions, must:

• 1. Participate in intra- and interdepartmental emergency preparedness committees as needed;
• 2. Develop and maintain appropriate departmental or agency plans and procedures to carry out their roles and responsibilities as described in the FNEP, and identify and maintain the infrastructures and capabilities needed to implement them;
• 3. Maintain human resources adequately trained and equipped to carry out their plans and procedures;
• 4. Participate in exercises to ensure that these resources work and are kept up-to-date; and
• 5. Participate in studies or research aimed at developing any necessary standards or guidelines, and to keep abreast of improvements in technologies and capabilities relevant to emergencies.

7.1.1 Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Committees

The Health Canada planning organization for the FNEP is supported by three nuclear emergency preparedness advisory committees:

• 1. A federal interdepartmental committee;
• 2. A federal-provincial committee; and
• 3. A Canada-United States working group.

Health Canada provides the chair and secretariat for these committees. The titles and mandates of these committees are described in Table 2.

TABLE 2: Nuclear emergency preparedness committees

Committee	Mandate
Interdepartmental Committee on Nuclear Emergency Preparedness	To provide advice and assistance to the National Coordinator in the areas of nuclear emergency preparedness programs, response standards, emergency assistance, exercises and other related issues.
Federal-Provincial Coordinating Committee on Nuclear Emergency Preparedness	To provide advice and assistance to the National Coordinator for coordination of nuclear emergency preparedness and response arrangements with the provinces and territories.
Canada/United States Working Group on Radiological Emergency Preparedness	To arrange, facilitate and coordinate arrangements for mutual assistance/cooperation between Canadian and U.S. federal agencies with cross-border interest in nuclear emergencies.

Federal departments/agencies and Provincial Emergency Measures Organizations will participate as required in the relevant committees to ensure that

• all interdepartmental and interjurisdictional planning and preparedness issues and activities relevant to nuclear emergencies are adequately coordinated, and
• any concerns raised are considered and resolved.

7.1.2 Plans and Procedures

In accordance with Ministerial responsibilities under the Emergency Preparedness Act [2] and the Federal Policy for Emergencies [16], federal departments and agencies are responsible for developing and maintaining their own emergency management policies, plans and procedures.

Federal departments and agencies must develop and maintain procedures, related to the FNEP, to:

• 1. Notify their own headquarters and regional staff that a nuclear emergency has occurred;
• 2. Carry out the roles and responsibilities under the emergency functions and emergency support functions assigned to them in the Government Emergency Book [11], the National Support Plan [12] (see Appendix 4) and the nuclear emergency functions identified in the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan (Appendix 5);
• 3. Participate in and support the National Support Structure, operate their own emergency operations centre as appropriate, and establish communications links and protocols required to exchange information between them; and
• 4. Coordinate delivery of their emergency actions with the activated portions of the National Support Structure, their headquarters, their regional offices, and their provincial counterparts, as applicable.

Federal departments and agencies are responsible for ensuring, in consultation with Health Canada, that their departmental plans and procedures are prepared in accordance with the pertinent aspects of FNEP, other emergency planning documents, and applicable international conventions.

Health Canada is responsible for developing and maintaining appropriate written agreements, joint plans, operating manuals, procedures or other documents required to implement the FNEP that are not the responsibility of any other department or agency.

7.1.3 Infrastructure and Capabilities

Each federal department and agency is responsible for ensuring that resources are available to meet its response requirements in the context of the FNEP. This includes, but is not limited to:

• 1. Organizing and maintaining communication capabilities, facilities infrastructure (e.g., emergency operations centres), support staff and rosters needed to implement their departmental plan and to fulfil the responsibilities referenced in the FNEP;
• 2. Providing departmental facilities, laboratories, equipment and any other resources needed to carry out their roles and responsibilities and support the National Support Structure in dealing with a nuclear emergency; and
• 3. Activating any departmental or national emergency response systems required (e.g., the Food and Agriculture Emergency Response System of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada [6]).

7.1.4 Identification and Training of Designated Officials

Based on the elements listed above and the implementing requirements of the FNEP, federal departments and agencies are responsible for:

• 1. Identifying and designating suitable personnel and alternates from their organization for staffing various positions identified in the FNEP National Support Structure, in their own emergency plans, and in relevant provincial emergency plans; and
• 2. Ensuring that all Designated Officials receive minimal training and regular refreshers on applicable plans and procedures, and participate in regular drills and exercises of the FNEP.

Federal employees that would need to respond in the field in an active or support role, could be required to enter contaminated areas, or could come in contact with objects or samples containing radioactivity should receive a detailed course and subsequent annual refreshers on radiation protection and occupational safety.

Departments and agencies should consider training non-governmental organizations who have a response role in their departmental emergency plans.

All federal departments and agencies involved in the FNEP will provide advice and assistance to Health Canada for the development and conduct of training related to the FNEP.

7.1.5 Exercises

Health Canada, in consultation with the members of appropriate emergency preparedness committees, will plan periodic exercises of the FNEP National Support Structure.

Communication and activation drills of all Designated Officials should be conducted at least semi-annually. An exercise of a major component of the National Support Structure should be held every year. A full test of the FNEP should be held every 2-3 years in conjunction with a full provincial or international nuclear emergency exercise. Exercises can take various forms (paper, study, tabletop, telecommunication and full-field exercises), and may be combined with other non-radiological exercises.

All federal departments and agencies involved in the FNEP will provide advice and assistance to Health Canada for the development and conduct of exercises of the FNEP or parts thereof, and will endeavour to participate in these exercises.

For training purposes, members of the Federal Regional Organization who have a role in the provincial emergency management organization will endeavour to participate in exercises organized by the province.

Health Canada will ensure that exercises of the FNEP National Support Structure are evaluated, that an exercise evaluation report is produced within a reasonable time, and that appropriate follow-up actions are undertaken. Participating government departments/agencies are responsible for evaluating their own exercise objectives.

7.1.6 Study and Research

Federal departments and agencies will promote, coordinate, advise and assist primary departments and agencies, as appropriate, in studies and research dealing with all aspects of nuclear emergency functions identified, but not necessarily limited to, those in Appendix 5. Federal departments and agencies will also assist in the development of standards, methods and protocols to ensure the compatibility of:

• 1. Radioactivity release modelling, plume dispersion and dose projections;
• 2. Field sampling and measurement;
• 3. Aerial gamma measurement;
• 4. Laboratory sample analysis and reporting of results;
• 5. Data compilation and validation, quality control/quality assurance, and data management; and
• 6. Personnel dosimetry and emergency worker protection.

7.2 Emergency Response

All federal departments and agencies called upon to respond to a nuclear emergency, either as primary or supporting organization both in headquarters and in the regions, must:

• 1. Fulfil their emergency management responsibilities listed under the emergency functions in the Government Emergency Book [11] (see Appendix 4);
• 2. Fulfil their responsibilities listed under the emergency support functions in the National Support Plan [12] (see Appendix 4); and
• 3. Fulfil their responsibilities listed under the nuclear emergency functions identified, but not necessarily limited to, those in the FNEP (see Appendix 5).

As stated previously, the National Support Structure provides overall coordination of the federal response during a nuclear emergency. It does not replace, but is rather supported by, individual departmental emergency operations centres. All departments and agencies establish and maintain their emergency operations centres as required, in order to respond to emergencies affecting their mandate. In addition, all departments and agencies identified in this Plan must provide staff, resources and support for activation and operation of the National Support Structure. FNEP implementation requires federal organizations to coordinate their departmental emergency operations, procedures, and response actions through the National Support Structure.

7.3 Reviews and Updates

The Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan is a "living document" that will undergo minor revisions, regular updates and modifications necessary to reflect changes and evolving mandates of the federal and provincial organizations involved.

The FNEP will be reviewed and revised at least once every five years, preferably following a full exercise of the plan. Requests for changes to the FNEP or to procedures related to it must be submitted in writing to the Administrative Authority (see page ii). Minor revisions or updates of information contained in the FNEP should be provided to the Administrative Authority as required. All changes to departmental procedures, strategies, mandate or points of contact affecting the FNEP must be provided to the Administrative Authority within 30 days of the changes taking effect. All major changes to the FNEP will be reviewed and discussed by members of the Interdepartmental Committee on Nuclear Emergency Preparedness.