Monday, April 28, 2025
The Government of Ontario announced it has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) as part of the process to build a new Ontario Emergency Preparedness and Response Headquarters. This new headquarters will be the largest update to Ontario’s emergency command centre in more than 15 years and will support the province’s work to prepare for and respond to all types of disasters, including through the deployment of Ontario Corps.
“This new headquarters is a pivotal part of our plan to modernize emergency management, ensuring a better co-ordinated and enhanced response to emergencies across Ontario,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “In the coming weeks, our government is looking forward to working closely with stakeholders and experts to ensure this facility has the capabilities required to support a safe, practiced and prepared Ontario and a resilient and strong emergency response system.”
The new state-of-the-art complex will be a multifaceted, secure centre that will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. It will include dedicated training rooms and warehousing and aviation infrastructure and will be built to withstand all types of disasters including earthquakes, tornadoes and floods.
The headquarters will be located on surplus government property on Disco Road in Etobicoke near Toronto Pearson International Airport and provincial highways.
It will also be used to oversee and coordinate Ontario Corps, a group of skilled professionals and volunteers that was announced last December and which the province can deploy to assist communities dealing with natural disasters and other emergencies. Ontario Corps has already been successfully deployed on several occasions, including during the recent ice storm in Central Ontario.
Infrastructure Ontario has launched its RFP for Functional Programming Services, which will determine the exact systems and capabilities the new headquarters will require in order to fulfill its functions. This is the first step in the planning process for the new Ontario Emergency Preparedness and Response Headquarters/Complex.
Featured image: Jill Dunlop, Ontario Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response. (Government of Ontario)
