Emergency Program Act ([RSBC 1996] Chapter 11).

The present Act provides the legislative framework for the management of disaster and emergencies within British Columbia. This framework defines responsbilities of local authorities, provincial ministries and crown corporations along with the responsbility for the Province’s emergency management program. It requires local authorities, ministries, crown corporations, and government agencies to develop plans and programs to prepare and respond to emergencies and disasters in the Province. The Act also provides local authorities, the Minister responsible for the Act, and the Lieutenant Governor in Council with the ability to declare a state of emergency in order to access the extraordinary powers required to co-ordinate emergency responses. The text consists of 28 sections divided into 4 Parts as follows: Definitions and application (1); Administration (2); Emergencies, disasters and declared emergencies (3); General (4).