Approved by the Regional Council in June 2023, the Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR) is a voluntary, self-referral list only for residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality who may require support during emergency situations.
The VVPR provides important information to Emergency Management staff, volunteers and, first responders to help appropriately respond to resident needs in situations such as sustained power outages, severe storms, and more.
Register for the Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry
Registering for the VVPR is voluntary and easy and starts by completing an intake form. Click below or call 311 to get started. For more information about the VVPR, including eligibility and what to expect, read below.
Who should consider registering?
The Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR) is a voluntary, self-referral list only for residents without 24-hour support who experience severe difficulty with any of the following:
- Mobility
- Vision impairment
- Hearing impairment
- Developmental disabilities
- Cognitive impairment
- Mental health conditions
- Any resident who requires electricity for life-sustaining equipment such as oxygen, dialysis, etc.
The VVPR is not for all residents. For example, those receiving 24-hour support or homecare aide may not be eligible.
Those receiving care or assistance in long-term care or supportive housing facilities are not eligible. Residents under the age of 18 and receiving parent or guardian support would typically not be considered eligible for the VVPR; however, children with intensive needs that require electricity for life-sustaining equipment may be considered. In such cases, the caregiver will be registered to the program.
If you doubt whether the VVPR is right for you, complete the intake form online or call 311.
What can I expect once I’m registered?
After completing the form, the VVPR Coordinator will follow up with the information you have provided to confirm eligibility and verify your personal information.
Once added, individuals who are included in the Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR) will receive helpful information or direct contact from Emergency Management staff during emergency events where VVPR is activated.
See the Frequently Asked Questions for further information about what to expect during emergency situations when the VVPR program is activated.
The municipality’s VVPR is powered by hfxAlert, allowing for multiple ways to keep you informed, including text messages, emails and phone calls.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry (VVPR)?
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The VVPR is a voluntary self-referral list only for residents of the Halifax Regional Municipality who may require more support during emergency situations. The VVPR is managed through the municipality's Division of Emergency Management.
- Why does the municipality need a VVPR?
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The VVPR helps Emergency Management staff communicate with individuals who require support during an emergency event.
The VVPR was approved by Regional Council in June 2023. In developing the initiative, Emergency Management engaged with numerous communities and resident feedback on the initiative. In addition, a jurisdictional scan was completed, and Emergency Management staff worked with Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, as they have had a VPR in place for many years.
- Who should consider registering?
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Residents with:
- mobility impairment
- vision impairment
- hearing impairment
- developmental disabilities
- cognitive impairment
- mental health conditions
- any resident who requires electricity for life-sustaining equipment such as oxygen, dialysis, etc.
Those not eligible include (exceptions may apply):
- residents receiving 24-hour support from a caregiver or home care aide
- residents receiving care or assistance from a long-term care home or supportive housing facility
- residents under the age of 18 who receive parent/guardian support; however, children with intensive needs that require electricity for life-sustaining equipment may be considered eligible.
Applications can be submitted only by individuals seeking to become part of the VVPR, or their caregiver. All applications will be reviewed by the VVPR Coordinator to confirm eligibility and verify personal information upon submission of the intake form.
- What happens when an online registration form is submitted for the VVPR?
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If registering online, a confirmation message will pop up to confirm registration form submission and an email will be sent to the email address submitted. The VVPR Coordinator will contact the applicant, to confirm eligibility and verify personal information.
If registering through a phone call to 311, an email will be sent to the email address submitted for the applicant, and the process to confirm eligibility and verify personal information will be followed as noted above.
The VVPR Coordinator will contact applicants, to confirm eligibility and verify personal information within three days of submission of the registration form.
- What do VVPR registrants need to do in an emergency?
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VVPR registrants still need to call 9-1-1 if they are experiencing an emergency. They are also responsible for having an emergency plan in place in order to be prepared to remain safe for at least three days. VVPR registration does not guarantee registrant safety but is an added safeguard where local emergency management groups will make every effort to increase the possibility of a VVPR registrant’s safety during emergencies.
Emergency preparedness information can be found here: https://www.halifax.ca/fire-police/fire/emergency-management/emergency-preparedness
In what situations will the VVPR program be activated by Emergency Management?
The VVPR program will be activated for the following:
Hazard Notifications
- Extreme weather events or other hazards posing moderate risk to community.
- Extreme weather events or other hazards posing moderate risk to Critical Infrastructure.
- Extreme weather events or other hazards where communicating preparedness recommendations to the public is necessary.
- Extreme weather-related events or other hazards where sheltering in place instructions are being recommended due to risk of compromised road infrastructure.
- Extreme weather-related events or other hazards where a voluntary evacuation has been issued and temporary lodging has been made available.
Evacuation Alerts
- Extreme weather events or other hazards posing extreme risk to community where a potential for evacuation order is significant.
Evacuation Orders
- Extreme weather events or other hazards that pose an imminent risk to community and life safety that trigger instruction for mandatory evacuation orders.
Evacuation Rescinds
- When the imminent risk has been nullified and residents are able to return to their communities.
- What can registrants expect if they are included in the VVPR?
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When the VVPR program is activated during an event as noted above, responses to VVPR registrants will be prioritized according to the personal information submitted on the application form (e.g., vulnerabilities during emergencies relating to mobility, vision or hearing impairment, need for electricity for life-sustaining equipment, etc. - as listed above in the eligibility criteria).
If an event noted above occurs or is foreseen:
- A warning will be sent through hfxALERT to registrants, and their emergency contacts, if possible (telephone, text, email).
- Emergency Management staff will conduct phone calls if needed, or attempt door-to-door contact through Emergency Management volunteers.
- The VVPR is not intended to be used for recovery activities such as snow removal and/or tree removal.
After such an event:
- Check-in communications through hfxALERT will be sent to the registrant, and their emergency contacts via all methods of contact, if possible (telephone, text, email).
- Prioritization checks will be conducted based on personal information included in the registration form, with door-to-door contact, as necessary.
For example, in the case of an impending hurricane, hfxALERT communications will be sent, telephone and/or door-to-door checks may be made, and if a registrant relies on life sustaining equipment that requires electricity, they would be prioritized for available support.
At minimum, biannual check-ins/validation of registration information will be conducted by the VVPR Coordinator.
- Is hfxALERT registration required?
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Registrants understand that if they are eligible to be added to the VVPR, the VVPR Coordinator will also register them in the hfxALERT system so that they will receive VVPR emergency alerts as needed. If a registrant has an emergency contact, they will also be registered in the hfxALERT system. These alerts will be sent to registrants, and emergency contacts, via all means of communication that have been provided on the registration form, including primary/secondary phone numbers (telephone call and/or text) and email addresses.
For more information on hfxALERT visit halifax.ca/hfxalert.
- Under what authority do we collect and use personal information that has been shared in the form?
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In accordance with Section 485 of the Municipal Government Act, any personal information collected on the VVPR registration form will be used only by municipal staff and, if necessary, individuals and/or organizations under service contract with the Halifax Regional Municipality for purposes relating to executing the Voluntary Vulnerable Persons Registry program.
Questions about the collection and use of this personal information should be directed to the Access and Privacy Office at 902.943.2148 or privacy@halifax.ca.
- How is consent obtained by us to use personal information in the VVPR in an emergency?
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Each VVPR registrant agrees to allow the Halifax Regional Municipality to provide some of the information in the VVPR registration form to local first responders if necessary for use during emergencies. Some of the information provided by the registrant may also be shared with Emergency Management volunteers and service providers for those registrants who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment such as oxygen. Registrants and emergency contacts will all be contacted by the VVPR Coordinator to confirm consent and to verify contact information.
- How is a registrant’s personal information updated in the VVPR?
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Each registrant of the VVPR is responsible for ensuring that personal information is always up to date. Registrants can contact the VVPR Coordinator at any time to provide updates to their information, by e-mail: HRM_EMO@halifax.ca or telephone: 902.490.3573
At a minimum, updates to the information in the VVPR will be conducted by the VVPR Coordinator every six months. The VVPR Coordinator will make every effort over a two-month period to complete an update; however, if unsuccessful, the VVPR Coordinator can remove a registrant from the VVPR and notify them accordingly. A registrant can request that the registrant be removed from the VVPR at any time.
- Can I register for the VVPR without completing the web form?
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If a user has trouble using the self-referral web form at halifax.ca/vvpr or would like an alternative way to complete the web form please call 311.