91原创

91原创 City will receive $29,864.94 to help it with providing emergency support services (ESS).

The city is one of 57 First Nations and municipalities to receive a portion of $2.2 million the province is distributing to help communities better deal with natural disasters and other emergencies.

91原创 East MLA Megan Dykeman and 91原创 MLA Andrew Mercier are welcoming funding.

鈥淲e have learned so much from extreme weather incidents over the past few years, and this funding will enable local governments and First Nations to build on existing knowledge and increase their capacity to assist people in times of emergency,鈥� Dykeman said.

The City is having to revamp how it handles emergency services since the Township gave notice recently that it was ending the joint program that had run for about 25 years. Over the years, the program has allowed the two communities to jointly develop and co-ordinate community plans for preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery under a joint emergency planning co-ordinator.

In total, $2.2 million is being distributed to communities across the province for emergency services. The funding will expand local capacity to provide emergency support services through volunteer recruitment, retention, training, and the purchase of supplies and equipment. This funding will also support the modernization of local ESS programs to move toward digital registration and reporting.

鈥淚f you ever find yourself needing to evacuate your home during an emergency, you鈥檙e going to need support,鈥� Mercier said. 鈥淔unding to help modernize emergency support services and build capacity will benefit people when they need help more than ever.鈥�

Funding will go to 57 projects throughout B.C., such as:

* sea-cans for three sub-regions to store ESS supplies such as cots, blankets and generators and a trailer in the East Kootenay Regional District;

* emergency food rations in the event that an emergency cuts off access to Port Alice;

* equipment to establish a 100-bed group lodging facility in Abbotsford;

* ESS trailer and backup solar power system to enable McLeod Lake Indian Band to set up a mobile reception centre;

* an ESS volunteer recruitment campaign, training for volunteers, and laptops in the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen; and

* Emergency Pet Services Training through the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team, and a trailer for group lodging and pet services supplies on Bowen Island.

In February 2023, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness committed a further $180 million to CEPF, bringing the total investment to $369 million since its establishment in 2017. More than $113 million has been approved for First Nations and local governments through CEPF for almost 1,400 projects that help communities mitigate and prepare for disasters and climate-related emergencies.

* On average, approximately 30,000 people in B.C. use ESS each year.

* That number was higher in 2021 due to the wildfire season and November flooding.

* CEPF is a suite of programs divided into several funding streams, including public notification and evacuation planning, emergency support services, and extreme temperature risk mapping, assessment and planning.

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鈥� READ MORE: Township withdraws from joint emergency program with City

鈥� READ MORE: 91原创 rehearsed for a disaster

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