Who We Are

The Integrated Partnership for Regional Emergency Management (IPREM) is an inter-governmental partnership between the Province of BC and Metro Vancouver Regional District that leads collaborative regional emergency management planning and coordination for the Metro Vancouver region.

The partnership was established in 2009 through a Memorandum of Understanding between the British Columbia (BC) Government and the Metro Vancouver Regional District (on behalf of 21 municipalities, one Treaty First Nation and one electoral area) to enhance emergency management in the Metro Vancouver region. IPREM undertakes regional emergency management planning initiatives that address priority issues in the region.

Who is involved?

IPREM is structured to support our members, by working together with regional partners, to collectively work on priorities, identify required resources, and effectively plan on a sub-regional and regional scale for emergency events that have the potential to be cross-jurisdictional in nature.

Policy Group

The Policy Group leads IPREM and is co-chaired by a BC Provincial Minister responsible for the Emergency and Disaster Management Act and the Metro Vancouver Board Chair. This group engages relevant agencies, provides policy direction, political oversight and approves of annual work plans and budget.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee reports to the Policy Group, and comprises eight members from local, regional, and provincial governments who meet quarterly. The committee makes decisions regarding priorities, resources and policy recommendations.

Support Staff

Three full-time IPREM staff support regional emergency planning initiatives outlined in the work and strategic plans. They additionally conduct research and analysis, program administration, development, communications, and engagement on behalf of the partnership.

IPREM’s role during and emergency

We provide a regional planning role through leading coordination and collaboration to conduct regional emergency management planning on priority initiatives on behalf of our membership. This means that IPREM staff and IPREM as an entity do not have a formal emergency response or recovery role.

During the response and recovery phase, however, if there is capacity and it is deemed a priority over current project work, IPREM staff can pivot to support the region in various ways as necessary. For example, IPREM has a staff deployment policy that allows staff to be deployed to Provincial Regional Emergency Operations Centers (PREOC) or local Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) to support an emergency response. Previously, IPREM staff have also convened the Metro Vancouver region in ad hoc, focused planning and coordination discussions for Southwest (SWE) regional events.

In addition, IPREM staff work plans have adapted following events in the region to allow space to debrief and conduct after action reviews, which can lead to new regional initiatives and support in identifying planning needs.

For more information, please see the IPREM Staff Deployment Policy.

Connect

IPREM acknowledges that the region’s residents live, work, and learn on the shared territories of many Indigenous peoples, including 10 local First Nations: q́ićəý̓(Katzie), q́ʷɑ:ńƛ̓əń (Kwantlen), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), máthxwi (Matsqui), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), se’mya’me (Semiahmoo), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), scəẃaθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).

IPREM respects the diverse and distinct histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, which collectively enrich our lives and the region.

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Who We Are

Who is in​volved?

​​IPREM’s r​​ole during and emergency

Who is involved?

IPREM’s role during and emergency