The Province is funding local community projects throughout B.C. to improve planning for evacuation routes and public notifications to keep people safe and informed when emergencies occur.
“It’s vital that communities have clear evacuation routes and dependable notification systems to keep people safe in the event of an emergency,” said Kelly Greene, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “These projects will improve the information available to communities, residents and first responders so they can act quickly and protect people when the need arises.”
Government is providing nearly $2 million, through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), to local governments and First Nations. This funding will support 51 communities to develop and update their plans through 42 public notification and evacuation route planning projects. Projects include mapping routes, improving evacuation and public notification plans, and running training exercises to test plans before an emergency occurs.
In 2023, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) received $29,940 through this fund to update local evacuation route plans and raise awareness about Alertable, the regional district’s emergency alert system. Local public notification systems, such as Alertable, used by local governments or First Nations, are another way for residents to receive the information they need during an emergency. Growing awareness has led more residents to download the app, giving them a direct way to receive crucial emergency information from CSRD quickly and directly.
“The CSRD consists of many high-risk, rural communities with complex evacuation needs. Funding received in 2023 enabled our program to address many of those challenges,” said Cathy Semchuk, emergency program co-ordinator, Columbia Shuswap Regional District. “It also provided the ability to incorporate climate change considerations, helping to develop a robust evacuation planning process. With this year’s funding, we will further strengthen community resilience to evolving climate risks.”
This round of funding will support projects throughout B.C., including:
- enhancing hazard preparedness for people in the Cowichan Valley Regional District by developing evacuation route plans. This will incorporate map-based and area-specific information plans so people better understand risks and safe routes.
- enhancing preparedness and resilience in Tla’amin Nation through updated evacuation route plans. This project will involve working with BC Ferries, RCMP, Powell River Fire Rescue, and Powell River Search and Rescue to map the best routes by road, water, air and walking. It will also catalogue transport resources and determine the scope and availability of early warning systems so people can evacuate safely and quickly.
- updating evacuation routes and notification plans in Merritt based on community feedback from its experiences with flooding in 2021. This includes community engagement sessions, mapping and workshops for residents to better understand safe evacuation routes and how people will be notified.
The CEPF provides funding to boost community readiness for various natural hazards and climate-driven emergencies. This fund is administered through the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).
Quotes:
Hegus John Hackett, Tla’amin First Nation –
“As a fly-in, ferry-out community, we are used to taking care of ourselves when times get tough. This funding will help us to collaborate with local agencies so that we are efficient in times of emergency. These are plans we hope we’ll never need, but are essential to have.”
Kate Segall, chair, board of directors, Cowichan Valley Regional District –
“Through this funding, we will develop evacuation route plans for our region. These new plans will assist our Regional Emergency Operations Centre to make more informed decisions during emergencies, including supporting our dedicated response agencies like fire departments and RCMP.”
Adam Hart, emergency management co-ordinator, City of Merritt –
“This funding will support the City of Merritt develop a more detailed, inclusive and systematized evacuation plan that integrates lessons learned from the 2021 Coldwater River flood and subsequent evacuation of Merritt. Improving evacuation planning is one of several emergency planning and public education projects currently being undertaken by the City of Merritt. We are grateful for the support for this work provided by both the ministry and UBCM.”
Trish Mandewo, president, Union of British Columbia Municipalities –
“The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund continues to deliver critical support to communities working to safeguard residents during emergencies. This funding strengthens local capacity to plan and communicate effectively in high-stress situations, ensuring that people have the information they need to stay safe. UBCM is glad to administer this program on behalf of the Province and support communities across B.C. to enhance emergency readiness.”
