British Columbia is experiencing one of the worst wildfire seasons ever. Recently I spent an island vacation north of Powell River watching the sun eerily set into the smoke rather than over the familiar outline of Sonora Island.
And as I write this, the sky across the North Shore remains thick with smoke from the wildfires continuing to rage in the province’s Interior.
The province declared a state of emergency in early July and many Cariboo residents were either put on evacuation alert or evacuated.
The situation in the Cariboo reminds us all how important it is to be prepared for emergencies stemming from natural hazards.
The district’s rugged terrain and occasional extreme weather events increase our vulnerability to the occurrence of land slippage, flooding and wildfire. And being situated in an area where major seismic activity is expected means the risk of earthquake is ever-present.
At the district we have protocols and procedures in place to guide our emergency preparation and response, and we routinely practice our emergency response to ensure we are ready no matter what situation we may face.
But municipally driven emergency planning and preparation is only part of the equation for building a resilient community.
Residents must also make preparations, both at home and at work.
Home emergency kits are a critical part of ensuring that both you and your family are prepared should there be a local disaster. And while creating an emergency kit may seem like a daunting task, much of what you need is likely already in your home.
North Shore Emergency Management, the North Shore’s inter-municipal emergency management agency, offers in-depth information on what to include in a home emergency kit on their website.
NSEM recommends having enough supplies on-hand to take care of yourself and your loved ones for at least 72 hours. If you’re looking for some additional help getting emergency-ready, NSEM also offers free preparedness workshops.
Small steps go a long way in emergency preparedness, and a good first step is sourcing a bin or container to keep your supplies in.
And since the district is rolling out new locking, wheeled garbage carts to the neighbourhoods east of the Seymour River this fall, most of you will have an old garbage can that could be cleaned and repurposed to hold a home emergency kit.
This idea was suggested to me by Coun. Lisa Muri, who is also the district representative on NSEM.
While turning your old garbage can into an emergency kit may sound peculiar - it actually makes good sense. The cans are durable, waterproof and offer plenty of storage space.
For those of you who already have an emergency preparedness kit, the District is offering you an opportunity to recycle any garbage or green cans that you no longer need, after your new carts are delivered. Crews will deliver notices letting you know the exact date when this will occur.
As a municipality, we are constantly looking at how to best prepare for and respond to emergencies and we encourage you to do the same. Our resilience as a community depends on it. For information on preparing for emergencies visit nsem.info. ■
