Community Safety

Natural disasters and emergencies are not something we think about day-to-day, disasters such as interface wildfires, floods, earthquakes, power failures or severe storms can strike any community, including ours. It is up to all of us to be ready, and to be prepared.

While we do have a community Emergency Response Plan, no community is equipped is handle all the demands of a catastrophe. Help your community and your family by preparing yourself! Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do before, during and after an emergency.

If an emergency happens in our community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.

Visit Get Prepared or Prepared BC to get more information about knowing the risks, making a plan, and what to include in your 72-hour emergency kit in the event of an emergency or evacuation.

Visit the links below to help you prepare:

• Sign up for NRRM Alert Notifications
• Subscribe to NRRM's latest news notification
• Build an emergency kit
• Special needs preparedness
• Emergency preparedness for children
• Emergency preparedness for pets and service animals
• Your Emergency Preparedness Guide

An evacuation alert notice means that residents may be asked to leave their homes on very short notice and travel to identified reception centres. Plans are well-advanced in establishing several reception centres where temporary lodging and food services will be available.

Should residents be required to leave, detailed evacuation instructions will be provided directly to them by local emergency personnel.

In the meantime, residents should prepare by organizing an emergency supply kit with necessary medications, personal toiletries, change of clothing and personal and family documents.

Residents are advised to listen to local radio for more up-to-date information and instructions.

For up-to-date information, flood alerts and public safety notices, visit www.EmergencyInfoBC.gov.bc.ca

If local authorities ask you to leave your home, they have a good reason to make this request, and you should heed their advice immediately.

Listen to your radio and follow the instructions of local emergency officials, keeping these simple tips in mind.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and sturdy shoes so you can be protected as much as possible.
• Take your emergency supplies kit.
• Lock your home.
• Take a cellular telephone if you have one.
• Collect family members or go to the place designated in your family plan as a meeting place.
• Use travel routes specified by local authorities. Don't use shortcuts because certain areas may be impassable or dangerous.
• Stay away from downed power lines.
• If you go to an evacuation centre, sign up with the registration desk so you can be contacted or reunited with your family and loved ones.
• Contact your out-of-area emergency contact (identified in your personal emergency plan) to let them know what has happened, that you are ok and how to contact you. Alert them to any separated family members.
• Listen to local or provincial/territorial authorities for the most accurate information about an event in your area. Staying tuned to local radio and following their instructions is your safest choice.

If you're sure you have time:

• Call or e-mail your family contact to tell them where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
• Plan to take your pets with you; do not leave them behind. Because pets are not permitted in public shelters, follow your plan to go to a relative or friend's home, or find a "pet-friendly" hotel.
• If instructed to do so, shut off water and electricity before leaving. Leave natural gas service 'on' unless local officials advise you otherwise. You may need gas for heating and cooking. You might need to contact your utility company to restore gas service/reconnect appliances in your home once it's been turned off and in a disaster situation, it could take weeks for a professional to respond.

The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a municipal facility activated in advance of or during significant emergencies or disasters. It's staffed primarily by municipal personnel from various departments along with representatives from other agencies. The EOC serves to coordinate response efforts, centralize information, identify critical needs, establish priorities, and provide public updates during emergencies. It plays a crucial role in managing and directing resources to effectively address the situation.

EOC Activation Criteria
The EOC may be activated if any of the following conditions exist:

• Significant number of people at risk
• Additional resource support is required at the site
• Additional authority is required (e.g., Declaration of State of Local Emergency)
• Evacuation has occurred or there is evacuation potential
• Event crosses jurisdictional boundaries (e.g., train derailment, flood, earthquake)
• Multiple sites involved
• Coordination of multiple agencies, beyond what site can adequately handle
• Magnitude and potential duration of event (e.g., forest fire, flood, earthquake)
• Significant property damage – private and/or public
• Significant financial risk to private sector
• Environmental risks
• Major planned event or special event

Note: The EOC may be activated with or without a declaration of state of local emergency; however, it must be activated once a declaration has been made.

Levels of Activation
The NRRM has established three levels of activation for its Emergency Operations Center (EOC), aligning with BCEMS activation guidelines. The EOC is staffed according to the needs of the incident, with its size and composition adjusted accordingly. The EOC Director is responsible for assessing and determining the appropriate level of activation based on the specific circumstances of the emergency.

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EOC Structure
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) operates according to BCEMS guidelines and comprises various sections. While there's an outlined organizational chart for a fully developed response, not all functions may be filled in every activation. The specific requirements of the situation dictate which functions are prioritized.

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For inquiries please use the Public Information phone line – 250-774-6121