British Columbia's emergency management framework has been updated, clarifying responsibilities for local authorities. The Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA) was introduced in 2023, with an Order in Council 186 signed on May 11, 2026. This Order brings Section 47 of the EDMA into force effective January 1, 2027, confirming the obligations that municipalities and regional districts will need to meet.
For local authorities, the question is no longer whether these requirements are coming, but whether there is enough time, capacity, and guidance to meet them.
EDMA: Requirements
1. Risk Assessments
Local authorities must prepare and maintain a stand-alone risk assessment identifying and assessing all reasonably foreseeable hazards within their jurisdiction. This is new with the former Emergency Program Act included risk information embedded in the local emergency plan rather than prepared as a separate document. Assessments must be informed by studies and surveys, Indigenous knowledge and local knowledge where available, and climate change projections.
2. Emergency Management Plans
Every local authority must prepare, maintain, and implement emergency management plans covering all four phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Existing plans prepared under the former Emergency Program Act do not carry over as local authorities must transition to EDMA-compliant plans, and must publish those plans, subject to limited exceptions. Plans must be reviewed at least every seven years under recent amendments to the ‘Emergency and Disaster Management Regulations’.
3. Business Continuity Plans
Local authorities must also prepare and maintain a business continuity plan (BCP) describing how essential services will continue to be delivered during an emergency. This obligation has no equivalent under the former legislation and represents a material addition to local government emergency management work. BCPs must be reviewed at least every five years.
Indigenous Engagement: Already in Effect
While many regulatory requirements come into force in 2027, Indigenous engagement obligations are already in effect today under EDMA.
Local authorities are required to:
Consult, engage, and cooperate with Indigenous governing bodies across all phases of emergency management
Reach agreements on areas for consultation and cooperation, to be reflected in emergency management plans
Coordinate response and recovery actions with Indigenous partners before making key decisions
Incorporate Indigenous knowledge and cultural safety into planning and risk assessments
These requirements recognize Indigenous governments as essential partners in emergency management, reflecting a broader shift toward collaboration and reconciliation.
Looking Ahead: Critical Infrastructure Requirements
Although not yet in force, similar requirements are expected for critical infrastructure owners, who will also need to:
Conduct hazard-specific risk assessments
Develop emergency management plans
Implement business continuity plans
No timeline has been confirmed. These future provisions will extend resilience expectations beyond local governments to key service providers across the province.
Why This Matters
Local governments are responsible for its citizens in an emergency. The updated EDMA requirements reinforce their critical role while providing a more consistent framework across BC.
By strengthening planning, coordination, and continuity, these changes aim to ensure that communities are better equipped to:
Withstand increasingly frequent emergency events
Mitigate interruption of essential services
Recover more quickly and effectively
These enhanced requirements mean real work for municipal and regional districts. Standalone risk assessments, EDMA-compliant emergency management plans, business continuity plans, and meaningful Indigenous engagement take time; often more than organizations expect.
The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR) has indicated that implementation guidance will be available soon. That guidance has not yet been released, which adds some uncertainty to planning efforts. However, waiting before starting is unlikely to be a viable strategy to meet the timeline of January 1, 2027.
How CCEM Can Help
At CCEM, we understand that meeting these requirements can feel complex, especially within tight timelines and evolving guidance. Our team is adept at building practical, compliant, and resilient programs that are tailored to our client’s operational realities.
We support organizations across:
Risk assessments
Emergency management plan development and reviews
Business continuity planning
Training, exercises, and program integration
Indigenous engagement
Start Now
The scope of work required, especially around engagement, risk assessment, and plan development, means that early action is essential to meet the required timeframe.
Communities that begin planning, preparing, and practicing now will be better positioned not only to meet compliance requirements, but to build resilient systems that protect people, infrastructure, and services.