NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C. – Five North Island communities are among the recipients of emergency operations funding.
The five North Island communities are:
- Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD): $25, 000 for a portable emergency operation centre generator
- Gold River: $23, 280 for emergency radio communications enhancement
- Sayward: $24, 440 for evacuation training and radio communications enhancement
- Strathcona Regional District (SRD): $24, 475 for communications enhancement, group lodging facilities, and emergency public messaging
- Zeballos: $25, 000 for an emergency management program and emergency centre development project
According to a release from the province, they are allocating nearly $1.5 million in provincial emergency preparedness funding to 63 local and regional governments and First Nations communities across the province.
The funding will support emergency operations centres (EOCs) and emergency training.
Since the budget update in September 2017, communities and governments in B.C. have received more than $20.5 million through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF).
“When an emergency situation happens, it’s crucial that communities have the training and resources they require to respond to the emergency quickly and efficiently,” Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor Mike Farnworth wrote in the release.
This funding is part of a $33.5-million plan aimed at helping communities prepare for and respond to disasters.
The CEPF is a suite of programs designed to enhance the resilience of local governments and their residents. The funding is divided into five streams:
- Flood risk assessment, flood mapping and flood mitigation planning
- Emergency social services
- Emergency operations centres and training
- Structural flood mitigation
- Evacuation routes
