About Us
Who we are
Civic Shield Inc. is a Canadian emergency management consulting firm led by Ivana Irwin, senior leader with over 25 years of experience in fire service operations, incident management, municipal emergency governance, and healthcare system leadership.
Ivana’s career has seen her progress into senior fire service roles and operate within complex, multi-agency response environments. She has spearheaded municipal emergency management initiatives, played a vital role in the COVID-19 response at both municipal and health system levels, and developed operational plans, including pandemic and evacuation frameworks, enhancing community preparedness.
Her contributions extend to national firefighter health initiatives, engaging with Canada’s national framework on cancers linked to firefighting (Bill C-224), and participating in stakeholder discussions focused on occupational cancer data and prevention. Additionally, her work includes peer-reviewed publications in transplant medicine and active involvement in responder health programming.
Civic Shield Inc. is founded on operational credibility, governance fluency, and structured program development, ensuring high-quality ICS training and preparedness strategies.
What we do
Civic Shield Inc. specializes in consulting for municipalities, agencies, and emergency services, helping them translate ICS training and Disaster Risk Reduction commitments into effective operational systems.
While frameworks like the Sendai Framework and Canada’s Emergency Management Strategy provide essential direction, true resilience is cultivated at the municipal and operational level. This is where Civic Shield focuses its efforts.
Civic Shield aligns with key principles such as:
- Understanding Risk
- Strengthening Governance
- Investing in Risk Reduction for Resilience
- Enhancing Preparedness and Building Back Better