FAQ

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• What are the requirements to become a member?

  Toronto Shield members must:

  1.  Provide their professional e-mail address that is associated to their organization; and,

  2. Be employed, as either a:

  • Federal, Provincial, or local government representative or law enforcement employee tasked with counterterrorism, cybersecurity, or emergency preparedness duties; or,

  • Private or public-sector security director (or equivalent) tasked with duties related to your organization’s security, emergency management, or business continuity.

• How do I apply to become a member of the program?

  Complete and submit a Toronto Shield Membership Form. Upon submission, you will receive a confirmation message indicating your submission was successful. Applications will then be reviewed by a member of the Toronto Shield Team at the Toronto Police Service. 

• How long is the application review process?

  Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. Each applicant and their organization are thoroughly vetted. This process can be time consuming and the time table for each application will vary.

• How will I know if I am approved for the program?

  After the review process, you will receive an email with the status of your application.  If your application is not approved, you will receive a follow up email explaining why — this may be due to an applicant not meeting membership criteria.

• What are the benefits for joining the Shield Program?

  Toronto Shield members will receive:

  • Regular e-mail updates regarding matters related to emergency preparedness and counterterrorism. This includes domestic and international topics as such as cybersecurity alerts, active shooter incidents, major event briefs, and other noteworthy information

  • Open-source information from law enforcement and our global and local partners, including events in Toronto

  • Information on applicable training opportunities

  • Information on Toronto Shield meetings and conferences

• What is expected of me as a Shield member?

  Toronto Shield is designed as an information sharing program. Toronto Shield members, if able, are expected to:

  • Share their best practices and expertise in their respective fields/sectors

  • Share their open-source products with the Toronto Shield team for potential distribution to Toronto Shield and Global Shield partners.

  • Contact Toronto Shield with any unusual trends/intelligence involving their organization.

  • Provide information during ongoing incidents regarding their organization.

• I am a security manager in a public sector capacity. Why was my application rejected?

  Toronto Shield is emergency preparedness and counter-terrorism focused, and has selected sectors for membership based on Public Safety Canada’s critical infrastructure definition in terms of sectors that have been, and remain, primary targets by terrorists and extremists.

  Those who do not currently meet the membership criteria for the Toronto Shield program can access emergency preparedness resources through the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario and Public Safety Canada.
   

• As a member of Toronto Shield, am I now able to make police reports through the Shield program?

  No. Toronto Shield is not an avenue or intake to report crimes or incidents to police.

  • In an Emergency or to report suspicious activity in progress, Call 9-1-1

  • If you are safe and there is no emergency, sense of urgency, or crime in progress, please visit www.tps.ca/report or call 416-808-2222

  • To make an Anonymous report, please call Toronto Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or visit www.222tips.com

  • If you’re not sure what services you require, please visit Make the Right Call

• I do not meet the criteria to become a Toronto Shield member. Can I still obtain counter-terrorism, cybersecurity and emergency preparedness resources?

  Yes, those who do not currently meet the membership criteria for the Toronto Shield program can access emergency preparedness resources through the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario and Public Safety Canada.

• I have recently changed employment and now work for another company. I would like to still be a member of Toronto Shield. What do I need to do?

  If your new position meets the membership requirements, please visit the website and update your profile. Also, contact us directly at [email protected] with your updated information.