Last year was an unprecedented year for wildfires in BC. With the unpredictability of the upcoming season, now is the time to prepare for an emergency if you haven’t already done so.
Some of the key elements of a preparedness plan include:
• Preparing your emergency kits to be self-sufficient for possibly up to 7 days
• Having a household plan ready
• Preparing an evacuation plan and review it regularly with your family
• Staying informed
The SCRD through its emergency program: SCRD EMERGENCY PROGRAM is the lead agency on the Sunshine Coast for emergency events and is also a great source of information for emergency preparedness.
While the SCRD is already at work to plan & prepare for potential emergencies with the assistance of government and non-government multi-agencies as well as volunteers and first responders, depending on the emergency event, these agencies may not be able to get to you quickly.
As such, all Pender Harbour residents are strongly encouraged to work together to prepare an individual Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Plan (NEPP).
The goal is to pre-identify skills and resources within your neighbourhood that will be useful in a major event.
The objective is to prepare your neighbourhood to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours following a disaster.
The advantage of organizing your neighbourhood and preparing now will assist in a calm, organized and effective response to an event to help save lives and mitigate property damages as well as assist an orderly evacuation process if required.
A NEPP document to help you get started is available on the SCRD website here: NEPP. Each neighbourhood will have unique characteristics. It will be up to each individual neighbourhood to adapt the guidelines to suit the requirements and needs for your specific area.
Lastly, staying informed before and during an emergency event.
During a state of emergency, the SCRD will communicate all necessary information through the following channels:
a) SCRD has implemented an emergency alert system using the country wide Voyent Alert system. Registration for the service is free, simple and anonymous.
b) Local Radio Station - 91.7 FM
c) SCRD Website
d) SCRD Facebook and X (Twitter) (@SunshineCoastRD)
In May of 2024 the Government of Canada implemented an Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system in BC to enhance early detection and warning of earthquake hazard. EEW will provide seconds to tens-of-seconds of notice before strong shaking starts. The warnings will be broadcast through Radio stations, phones, etc. For further details, click on the fact sheet: EEW Fact Sheet or visit: Earthquake Early Warning
Emergency Preparedness doesn’t stop at Wildfires. Knowing and understanding the risks in your area is crucial. Resources are available to make these assessments and prepare accordingly. PreparedBC provides disaster readiness information as well as guides and resources to help you prepare your NEPP for each risk you have identified in your neighbourhood.
Key sources to help you prepare and stay informed during an emergency.
Click on the following links:
