All Ontario Municipalities including the County of Elgin are required to have an emergency management program and an emergency response plan. The requirements for these programs are set out in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

The focus of this plan is to provide a guideline for the most effective response to an emergency situation in the local municipalities and , and in so doing, safeguard the health, safety, welfare and property of their populace.

For the purposes of this plan, an emergency as defined in the Emergency Management Act, “means a situation or an impending situation caused by the forces of nature, an accident, an intentional act or otherwise that constitutes a danger of major proportions to life or property”.

While many emergencies could occur within the County of Elgin, the most likely to occur are floods, water and land pollution, blizzards, cold waves, fire, fog, frost and freeze ups, high winds, ice storms, severe thunderstorms, snow storms, tornadoes, hazardous chemical spills, power failures, transportation accidents involving hazardous materials, strikes and disorder.