Emergency Preparedness Secretariat Transfer

Summary#

This is the federal order titled Order Transferring from the Privy Council Office to the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness the Control and Supervision of the Emergency Preparedness Secretariat: SI/2024-57. It moves control of the Emergency Preparedness Secretariat from the Privy Council Office to the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, effective November 21, 2024. The item was published in the Canada Gazette on November 20, 2024.

What it does#

• Transfers the control and supervision of the portion of the federal public administration known as the Emergency Preparedness Secretariat from the Privy Council Office to the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
• The transfer is made under the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act and follows a recommendation by the Prime Minister (recorded as P.C. 2024-1182, dated November 8, 2024).
• The transfer takes effect on November 21, 2024. The Gazette notice does not describe any changes to programs, funding, or services.

Who's affected#

• Staff who work in the Emergency Preparedness Secretariat and managers in the Privy Council Office and the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
• Other federal departments, agencies, or external partners that deal with the Secretariat may notice changes in who they contact or who coordinates federal emergency planning.
• The Gazette notice does not list other specific groups, so the full scope of who will see operational changes is not stated.

Why it matters#

• The move changes where responsibility for federal emergency planning sits inside government. That can affect who leads coordination and who makes administrative decisions during planning and response.
• For most members of the public, this is an internal government reorganization. The notice does not say it changes services, programs, or budgets.