Emergency Management Assistance Program

Learn about funding available to First Nations communities on reserves for emergency management.

On this page

About the program

In partnership with First Nations communities, provincial and territorial governments and non-government organizations, Indigenous Services Canada's Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP) helps on reserve and other eligible First Nations communities access emergency assistance services.

EMAP provides funding to First Nations communities so they can build resiliency, prepare for natural hazards and respond to them using the 4 pillars of emergency management:

EMAP aims to be:

The program also provides funding to provinces, territories and non-government organizations to support on-reserve emergency management.

Since 2012, reimbursements from EMAP to First Nations communities have steadily increased. Find out more details in the graph of costs reimbursed.

Mitigation and preparedness

Project funding is available for First Nations-led emergency management preparedness and non-structural mitigation and FireSmart initiatives, such as:

  • training opportunities
  • emergency management plan development and testing
  • tsunami preparedness
  • all hazard risk assessments
  • fire prevention and preparedness capacity building

The program partners with:

  • First Nations communities
  • tribal councils and organizations
  • provinces and territories
  • third party providers

Structural mitigation infrastructure projects are funded by the Capital Facilities Maintenance Program and the First Nations Infrastructure Fund.

EMAP allows for the purchase of low-value equipment for emergency preparedness and mitigation projects through the program's proposal-based funding streams: Non-Structural Mitigation and Preparedness (NSMP) and FireSmart.

To learn more, consult the Low-value equipment purchases under EMAP page.

Response and recovery

When emergency response and recovery needs go beyond the capacity of the individual citizens and First Nations or tribal councils, EMAP can help.

EMAP reimburses response and recovery activities due to emergencies, helping the community recover in a timely, durable and holistic way. Eligible emergencies include ongoing or imminent:

  • wildfire
  • flood
  • storm
  • earthquake
  • health emergencies

Between April 1, 2014 and March 31, 2024, statistics about wildland fire and flood evacuation show that 127,000 First Nations people on reserves have faced temporary evacuation, including long term evacuations. Long term evacuees are people who have been evacuated for more than 2 months.

To learn more, consult EMAP's terms and conditions and Building back better: Emergency Management Assistance Program Strategy Guide.

Who can apply

To be eligible for funding under the Emergency management Assistance Program (EMAP), the emergency event must have impacted, or the proposed project must directly support, First Nations located on:

Deadlines

There is no deadline to apply for disaster recovery, evacuation costs and emergency planning.

Deadlines apply for funding under the Emergency Management Non-Structural Mitigation and Preparedness and FireSmart programs.

Response and recovery

Communities seeking reimbursement after an emergency are encouraged to submit estimates or invoices as quickly as possible to help ensure a timely community recovery.

Contact your local ISC regional office emergency management contacts for more details.

How to apply

For general EMAP funding, such as disaster recovery, evacuation costs and emergency planning, contact your local ISC regional office emergency management contacts to find out how to apply and what documents are needed.

Specific annual funding programs include:

ISC regional office emergency management contacts and resources

Atlantic

P.O. Box 160
40 Havelock Street
Amherst, NS  B4H 3Z3
Canada

Telephone: 1-902-661-6209
Email: at-emappagu-at@sac-isc.gc.ca

Quebec

320 St-Joseph St East, Rm 400, Building CSQ
Québec, QC  G1K 9J2
Canada

Telephone: 418-951-2283
Email: qbpagu-emapfinancement-funding@sac-isc.gc.ca

Ontario

655 Bay Street, Suite 700, 8th Floor
Toronto, ON  M5G 2K4
Canada

Email: emergencyon-urgenceon@sac-isc.gc.ca

Manitoba

365 Hargrave St, Room 200
Winnipeg, MB  R3B 3A3
Canada

Email: Mb.emergency@sac-isc.gc.ca

Saskatchewan

1827 Albert Street, 2nd Floor
Regina, SK  S4P 2S9
Canada

Email: skemergency@sac-isc.gc.ca

Alberta

630 Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Ave
Edmonton, AB  T5J 4G2
Canada

Telephone: 780-495-7707
Email: ab.emergency@sac-isc.gc.ca

British Columbia

For information on FireSmart program funding in British Columbia, please contact the First Nations' Emergency Services Society at mitigation@fness.bc.ca.

For other inquiries in BC, please contact the ISC BC regional office:

600-1138 Melville St
Vancouver, BC  V6E 4S3
Canada

Telephone: 604-209-9709
Email: bcaandc.do@sac-isc.gc.ca

Yukon

300 Main St, Room 415c
Whitehorse, YK  Y1A 2B5
Canada

Telephone: 1-800-661-0451
Email: yukon@rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca

Northwest Territories

P.O. Box 1500, 4923, 52nd Street
Yellowknife, NT  X1A 2R3
Canada

Telephone: 867-669-2500

Health support

For information or assistance related to health emergency management, contact gestionurgencessante-healthemergencymanagement@sac-isc.gc.ca.

Related links

Did you find what you were looking for?

What was wrong?

You will not receive a reply. Don't include personal information (telephone, email, SIN, financial, medical, or work details).
Maximum 300 characters

Thank you for your feedback

Date modified: