Emergency Preparedness in Small Communities

Living on the North Island on the edge of the rainforest allows us to experience nature in all her moods from calm, sunny days to raging winter storms. Coping with wind damage and power outages are second nature in smaller communities but other conditions occur which require help from Emergency Services. These can range from a single house fire to to a massive conflagration. We are all aware of the danger of forest fires and there have been some really big ones in the area. 20,000 hectares of Quadra Island was burned in 1925 and the Great Sayward Fire of 1938 burned from behind Campbell River to Forbidden Plateau with the smoke being seen as far away as Seattle. We may also have to deal with a cruise ship running aground in Discovery Passage, a plane crash, chemical spill or, worst of all, a massive earthquake.

Learning how to look after yourself and your family in any of these conditions could be essential for your survival. The Emergency Programme not only helps you find out what you can do to be personally prepared but co-ordinates other agencies which are ready to come to your aid. On Sunday March 22 sthe Quadra Island Emergency Programme, a part of the Strathcona Emergency Programme, is hosting a one day workshop on Emergency Preparedness in Small Communities. This is open to the public from 2 – 5 pm and refreshments will be served. Over 20 different agencies will be presenting information and demonstrations pertaining to their role in emergency situations. The RCMP, Quadra Island Fire Department, Search and Rescue, B.C. Ambulance, Red Cross and the Salvation Army would be the expected responders to a crisis but it would also involve VIHA, ESSA, JIBC, Strathcona Regional District, First Nations. All those organisations and many others will be present at the Quadra Island Community Centre. The Salvation Army is bringing up its mobile canteen which was used extensively in the Barriere and Kamloops fires. The Fire Department are demonstrating use of fire extinguishers, opening their trucks for inspection and showcasing their infrared camera. This is a great opportunity for members of the public, especially children to see inside all these vehicles close up. Who hasn’t wanted to climb into the driving seat of a fire-engine?

Come and join the Emergency Programme Volunteers on the afternoon of March 22 from 2 – 5 pm. Volunteers are coming from the communities of Campbell River, Sayward, Tahsis, Gold River, Zeballos and Kyuquot to share information and learn from one another. As an added inducement there are many door prizes to be won from frozen prawns, and emergency kits to bike helmets and gift certificates from Heriot Bay Inn and Taku. Refreshments will also be served. This is a chance to have a fun afternoon while finding out how to look after yourself in an emergency and support your community emergency volunteers.