All over B.C., emergency management practitioners and volunteers dedicate themselves to protecting communities and keeping people safe during emergency incidents. Unprecedented events in recent years have tested everyone in these roles and sometimes thanking them doesn’t seem like quite enough to acknowledge their tireless efforts.
The Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award, led by Public Safety Canada, is a partnership between federal, provincial, and territorial governments. It honours individuals and groups who have achieved excellence in their respective emergency management fields.
Nominations for this prestigious award are now open. Nominations should be for initiatives and achievements undertaken in the past two calendar years (2023-2024). Submissions are a great way to recognize the efforts of those contributing to advance emergency management as professionals or volunteers.
Award categories
There are five categories:
- resilient communities
- search and rescue volunteers
- search and rescue employees
- youth
- outstanding contribution to emergency management
Nomination process
Nominees can be in leadership roles, from Indigenous communities, belong to organizations, associations, schools, or groups, work in government or be a dedicated individual. The nomination deadline is Aug. 1, 2024. Learn more about the nomination and selection processes. Questions can be directed to EMBC.CCEMO.Award@gov.bc.ca.
In 2022, award recipients from B.C. included:
- Supply Chain Recovery Working Group, established by Transport Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure due to high flooding levels in 2021
- Emergency Support Services Team, City of Penticton
- Search and rescue employee, Sandra Riches (AdventureSmart)
- Search and rescue volunteers:
- Fernie search and rescue volunteers, Simon Piney and Ryan Anderson
- Neil Brewer, Search and Rescue British Columbia and Kent Harrison Search and Rescue