When major power outages or emergencies occur, municipalities play a vital role in protecting the public, coordinating response efforts and maintaining essential services. A range of best practices, from emergency planning to incident management and cooperation with partners such as Hydro‑Québec, can strengthen community resilience and improve responses to critical situations.
Understanding municipal roles and responsibilities
Under Québec's civil protection framework, municipalities have primary responsibility for public safety on their territories. They must:
- Assess local risks such as floods, major outages, landslides and hazardous materials
- Take the necessary preventive measures
- Coordinate local response efforts
- Contact their regional civil protection organization when a situation exceeds their response capacity
Planning, planning and planning some more
Emergency management depends on thorough, detailed preparation. The Québec government advises municipalities to use their civil protection plan as their primary tool to:
- Plan preventive measures
- Support disaster response
- Maintain essential services
- Organize recovery after an event
The Ministère de la Sécurité intérieure provides French‑language documents, templates and planning tools to help municipalities structure their preparedness efforts and crisis governance.
Working strategically with Hydro‑Québec
Benefit from local support
Hydro‑Québec works closely with municipal administrations on an ongoing basis in several areas including:
- Outage and emergency management
- Land use planning
- Regional coordination
- Support for municipal projects
Working across Québec, Hydro‑Québec's community relations teams play a key role in facilitating information sharing and ensuring effective coordination during emergencies involving Hydro‑Québec.
Assess danger levels to respond effectively
When an incident involves electrical facilities, the priority is to protect the public and first responders. The level of danger must be assessed quickly so the appropriate communication channel can be used:
Imminent or potential danger
Call 911 if anyone's safety is at risk or a hazard is present, including electrocution or electric shock, a rescue situation, an accident, a fire, a gas leak, severed or downed wires or a tree that has fallen on power lines.
No immediate danger
Call Hydro‑Québec at 1 800 790‑2424, available 24/7, to report an outage or any other situation that requires assessment.
For more information about danger levels and the procedures to follow, refer to the quick reference guide Communicating with Hydro‑Québec in emergency situations (in French only).
Municipal emergency coordinators have direct, 24/7 access to their Hydro‑Québec community relations advisor to facilitate communication and coordination during major events.
Quick reference guide for municipalities
Communicating with Hydro‑Québec in emergency situations [PDF 112 kB kilobyte – in French only]
Reminder: Keep the essentials of emergency preparedness in mind
With roles, tools and collaboration processes in place, it is time to take action. Here are the essential measures your municipality should implement to enhance its preparedness and respond more effectively to major outages and emergencies.
- Define the internal roles, decision‑making chain and primary points of contact with Hydro‑Québec.
- Ensure municipal emergency coordinators have all the information they need to contact Hydro‑Québec.
- Identify critical infrastructure vulnerable to extended outages including drinking water, wastewater, communications and emergency shelters.
- Raise awareness of electrical hazards and safety protocols among municipal services, public works and first responders.
- Update and regularly test the civil protection plan through drills and simulations.
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Go to Hydro‑Québec's power outages page to monitor outages across the municipality in real time.
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Share Hydro‑Québec's tips with residents so they can effectively prepare for a power outage.
