Centennial College assumes assets of the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness

TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2013 /CNW/ - After 20 years as Canada's leading advocate for disaster resilience, the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness (CCEP) is "passing the torch" to a new champion of emergency management and public safety.  Effective January 31, CCEP will cease operations and will award its assets to the Emergency Management and Public Safety Institute (EMPSI) of Centennial College.

"CCEP has done what it set out to do," says Sean Tracey, Chair of the CCEP Board of Directors, "and now it's time to hand over the benefits of our collective knowledge, expertise and experiences to an organization that will not only uphold CCEP's heritage and mandate, but also build on our accomplishments for a safer and more resilient Canada."

Through a comprehensive proposal process, the CCEP Legacy Working Group has chosen an organization that has committed to preserving the centre's emergency management and business continuity products, including its unique B-Ready Now software, a web-based business disruption-planning program that has been adopted by emergency planning practitioners across Canada and around the globe to help organize resources in advance of any natural or manmade disaster.

"We are excited by the opportunity to integrate CCEP's body of work and technical knowledge in our own curriculum, while ensuring CCEP's legacy endures and thrives well into the future," says EMPSI Manager Ginette Soulieres. "EMPSI will explore the feasibility of further developing the B-Ready Now software and identifying new business applications and audiences for its use."

Among EMPSI's commitments to CCEP are: to enhance the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness Awards in conjunction with the World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM); to establish the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness Scholarship Endowment Fund; and to nurture the Emergency Management and Public Safety Institute into a centre of excellence.

Since its inception in 1993, CCEP has been at the forefront of the training and development of emergency management and public safety professionals in Canada, and has increased the public's awareness of the need to be resilient. EMPSI and Centennial College are committed to continuing education through the development of many programs and pathways that include degrees and certificates, professional development and applied research and innovation.

SOURCE: Centennial College