The Inaugural Annual Report on the Northwest Territories Emergency Management System is now available

Press Release

February 24, 2026

The first annual report on emergency management has been released. The report provides information on improvements to the emergency management system, and summarizes activities undertaken by the NWT Emergency Management Organization (EMO), between April 2024 to December 2025.

The top two identified hazards in the Northwest Territories remain floods and wildfires, both of which are predicted to become more frequent and severe in the coming years due to climate change. This expectation has been demonstrated in recent years by major flood events in 2021 and 2022, and significant wildfire events in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Together, these events have resulted in losses of over $354.4 million.

The report highlights key activities that the EMO has undertaken, including:

• Collaborating with Indigenous governments to develop a model that formally integrates their roles within NWT emergency planning, preparedness, and response activities.
• Developing an Emergency Social Support Framework to improve coordinated roles and processes to integrate NGOs within the emergency management system. These improvements will ensure stronger and more cohesive supports for residents.
• Reviewing emergency management legislation and policies, including the Emergency Management Act, the NWT Emergency Plan, and the Disaster Assistance Policy.
• Delivering Incident Command Training: Between April 2024 and December 2025, 426 Incident Command System training opportunities were made available to EMO and GNWT surge-capacity staff seeking to upgrade their skills. More of these training opportunities are planned for 2026, including training for elected officials in April, to build understanding of the important leadership role they play during emergencies.

Read the full report: https://www.maca.gov.nt.ca/sites/maca/files/resources/nwt_emergency_management_annual_report_2025.pdf

For media requests, please contact:
Jay Boast
Senior Communications and Planning Advisor Department
Government of the Northwest Territories
Jay_Boast@gov.nt.ca
867-767-9162 ext. 21044

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