Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada
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Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, legally incorporated as the federal Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for protecting Canadians and helping to maintain a peaceful and safe society.
Legislation for the agency began in February 2001 and the department was created in December 2003 during a reorganization of the federal government, and it became legally established when the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act came into force on April 4, 2005. The agency Emergency Preparedness Canada was created under the auspices of the Defence department before the establishment of the department by the Emergency Preparedness Act of 1988.
The department was created to have a single entity with responsibility for ensuring public safety in Canada and is a direct result of lessons learned from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The department is in many ways similar to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security, though it does not cover the protection of maritime sovereignty.
Most of the department is comprised of organizations that were previously placed under the Department of Solicitor General of Canada, however the reorganization of several federal departments and ministries added the Canada Border Services Agency to the portfolio, after the two streams of the former Canada Customs and Revenue Agency were split in 2003. In addition, the Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Emergency Preparedness from the Department of National Defence was also brought into the Department.
The first Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness minister was Anne McLellan, who also served as Deputy Prime Minister. On February 6, 2006, Stockwell Day, former leader of the Canadian Alliance, was appointed Minister of Public Safety by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Other officials of PSEP include:
- Parliamentary Secretary to the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness minister
- Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for Emergency Management and National Security
- Deputy Minister responsible for Policing and Law Enforcement
- Deputy Minister responsible for Community Safety and Partnerships
- Deputy Minister responsible for Portfolio Relations and Public Affairs
- Deputy Minister responsible for Corporate Management
[edit] See also
- Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
- Minister of Justice (Canada)
- Canada Border Services Agency
PSEPC also works with provincial emergency agencies when the situation is specific to one part of Canada:
- British Columbia Provincial Emergency Program
- Emergency Management Alberta
- Saskatchewan Emergency Planning
- Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization
- Emergency Management Ontario
- Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (MSP) (Department of Public Security, Québec)
- New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization
- Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization
- Prince Edward Island Emergency Measures Organization
- Newfoundland Emergency Measures Division
- Northwest Territories - Department of Municipal and Community Affairs
- Department of Solicitor General
- FEMA - United States
- Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations - Netherlands
[edit] References
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