About ERAC – FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions] 

Emergency Response Assistance Canada (ERAC) is a not-for-profit emergency preparedness and response organization that develops, implements and responds to more than 400 emergency response plans (ERPs), including emergency response assistance plans (ERAPs), environmental emergency (E2) plans, rail security plans and spill contingency plans, for our over 320 Plan Participant members.

We design ERPs, manage the documentation, and implement those plans whenever and wherever needed. Using our highly-trained and skilled responders, and industry best practices and equipment, we are prepared for any flammable gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) incident by road or rail. We also provide emergency response from coast to coast for flammable gases and stationary tanks.

ERAC is ready to assist our Plan Participant members by keeping their company and communities safe.

Emergency Response Assistance Canada (ERAC) is a not-for-profit emergency preparedness and response organization that assists hundreds of oil and gas and transportation organizations requiring emergency response plans.

ERAC’s services include:

• Dangerous Goods Emergency Response Planning;

• ERAC Responder Training, Assessment and Approval;

• First Responder Training; and,

• 24/7 Dangerous Goods Emergency Response.

Our highly-trained and skilled responders, industry best practices and equipment, ensure we are well-prepared to safely address any flammable liquid or liquefied natural gas incident in Canada at any time while protecting people, property, and the environment.

Our Plan Participants pay fees based on the annual LPG and/or flammable liquids volumes they transport by road and rail, and the number of provinces covered by their ERPs.

The Canadian Propane Association (CPA) is the sole shareholder of ERAC. Each organization has a set of bylaws and a Memorandum of Understanding is in place to ensure both organizations are governed appropriately. ERAC is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors, made up of retailers, wholesalers, producers and transporters. ERAC’s President reports to the Board of Directors.

ERAC’s Operations Director chairs the Operations Committee. This committee supports the development of policy, procedures and other operations to ensure we provide the best service possible to our Plan Participants. Members of the committee come from the transportation, contract emergency response, industrial emergency response, and oil and gas industries. Committee members are considered technical experts in flammable gases and liquids, emergency preparedness and response, container damage assessment and industrial firefighting.

ERAC Plan Participant members include small to large oil and gas producers, retailers, wholesalers and carriers of flammable gases and liquids, including by road and rail. ERAC provides ERP preparedness and response services for more than 400 plans to our over 320 Plan Participant members.

An emergency response assistance plan (ERAP) is a formal plan that describes what the industry will do to support first responders in the event of an accident involving their dangerous goods that require special expertise and response equipment.

Under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, no person shall import, offer for transport, handle or transport dangerous goods in a quantity or concentration that is specified by regulation — or that is within a range of quantities or concentrations that is specified by regulation — unless the person has an emergency response assistance plan that is approved under this section before

1. importing the dangerous goods,

2.  offering the dangerous goods for transport, or

3. handling or transporting the dangerous goods, in the case where no other person is required to have an emergency response assistance plan under paragraph (a) or (b) in respect of that handling or transporting.

Your ERAP can be accessed through the ERAC SharePoint ERAP site.

Please refer to this document for instructions on how to access your ERAP through SharePoint

If you have any questions regarding your ERAP please email us. 
If you have any questions regarding the portal, please fill out the portal questions form.

As of January 2013, all ERAPs have an expiry date. The approval period will range from five to seven years for final approvals and one to three years for interim approvals. The length of the approval period depends on the risk linked to the plan. The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act [1992] no longer supports the issuance of indefinite approvals.

• Plan Participants are responsible for having their own internal emergency response management system. This internal system is what links your organization to the ERAC ERAP implementation. You must provide authorized individuals that can be reached on-call 24/7/365 in the event of an incident involving your product. When an ERAP is implemented, we will confirm with our Plan Participant-authorized individual prior to sending resources to an incident.

• Plan Participants will be asked to sign a Dangerous Goods Preparedness and Response Participation Agreement and complete sections of the ERAP to provide details regarding their product volumes and transportation routes.

• Plan Participants must be able to provide Bills of Lading, Safety Data Sheets, and product description information to the home base coordinator (HBC).

• Plan Participants are not expected to provide ERAC response teams, remedial measures advisors, technical advisors or equipment. However, organizations who do offer to provide resources in exchange for a retainer are always welcome and will be reviewed.

Yes, the ERAC bylaws require all Plan Participant members to be either full or associate members of the CPA.

• ERAC draws on the expertise and resources necessary to develop, implement and evaluate a full preparedness and response service, available anywhere in Canada 24/7/365. This is outside of the capacity of many individual organizations.

• Operating a full-scale preparedness and response program, covering a large geographic area, is cost prohibitive for many organizations.

• ERAC specializes in emergency preparedness and response and ensures all member organizations have an approved ERAP.

• ERAC-prepared ERAPs ensure access to required resources.

• ERAC members can access transfer, flaring, firefighting and incident stabilization equipment owned by ERAC.

• Separate ERAPs require contracts with each emergency response contractor, which could result in a shortage of, or competition for, required resources, driving costs up unnecessarily.

Transport Canada provides responder liability protection as per section 20 of the TDG act. Therefore, if the Plan holder does not activate the response teams identified in the approved ERAP, Transport Canada liability protection will not be afforded to the responders.

In the event your ERAP is implemented, ERAC provides the ERAP holder with general liability protection as outlined in section 5 of the ERAC Dangerous Goods Preparedness and Response Participation Agreement. General Liability is in place to respond and protect the insured in the event of a bodily injury (including death) and/or property damage. It will respond both for defence costs and/or settlement/judgment.

Although there is a cost associated with implementing an ERAP, Plan Participant members are strongly encouraged to consider the risks of not implementing the ERAP or using their own resources, which may not be identified in your ERAP. This should be compared to using the trained and competent resources made available across Canada through ERAC Plan Participant member fees.

The consignor is responsible for the classification of dangerous goods. They must provide the carrier with a copy of the dangerous goods shipping document (paper or electronic), as well as ensure appropriate placards (safety marks) are available for use by the carrier. The ERAP number and emergency ERAP telephone number required for implementing the plan must be on all shipping documents.

It is the responsibility of the Plan Participant member to approve the implementation of the ERAP and associated response actions identified in the plan. Plan Participant members must promptly communicate ERAP emergency contact information changes to ERAC for implementation and distribution to the response system.

• Fulfills requests for technical advice by telephone for the product, container and response process associated with the Plan Participant member’s emergency response plan

• Notifies Transport Canada (through CANUTEC) that emergency response operations have been implemented

• Monitors the response to an emergency

• Notifies and maintains communication with the Plan Participant member as to the initial response required and as the scope of the incident escalates

• Maintains a log of activities and supports the on-scene ERAC personnel, response team leader, technical advisor and/or remedial measures advisor

• Fulfills the requests for technical advice at the incident scene for the product, container and response process associated with the Plan Participant member’s plan for road, rail and stationary tanks

• Provides direction and assistance for means of containment and damage assessment

• Manages ERAC operations at an incident scene by fulfilling a leading role in the operations section of the Incident Command System (ICS) process. The position will depend on the size of the event and the complexity of the ICS structure

• Documents information in the ERAP Incident and Implementation Form

• Attends the scene of an emergency when activated by a home base coordinator (HBC)

• When arriving on site, checks in with the Incident Commander (IC)

• Provides periodic progress reports to the emergency call centre and to the HBC for distribution to the Plan Participant member and other ERAC stakeholders

• Obtains release from the HBC, IC and Plan Participant member (if on scene) prior to leaving scene

• Generally full-time ERAC employees with significant emergency response and industrial firefighting experience

• Reporting to the Operations Director, TAs rotate through an on-call schedule and provide telephone support and advice to keep communication flowing during an incident activation

• May attend large-scale incidents to provide additional support

• Will support the emergency call centre and act as a liaison for the Plan Participant member and the response team on the scene

• Can provide first responders with technical support regarding the product and methods proven effective in containing and fighting fire

• Help develop, implement and evaluate ERAC training, and support quality management and safety management systems

• Manage regional training and assessment events held across Canada