Northwest communities to share in Emergency Preparation Funding

The Provincial government is preparing to deliver some additional funding to a number of communities across the Northwest and Haida Gwaii, part of the ongoing funding initiatives created through the Community Preparedness Fund introduced in 2017.

The fund is designed to provide funding through the UBCM which administers it, with six major areas of note highlighted as to where the money can be used.

Flood risk assessment, 

Flood mapping and flood mitigation planning 

Emergency social services 

Emergency operations centres and training 

Structural flood mitigation 

Evacuation routes

As part of today's roll out of information on the program, some 57 proposals have been given approval to move forward as part of the 1.5 million dollars of assistance to be released.

For Prince Rupert that will mean $25,000 to be put towards what the province calls a capacity building initiative.

North Coast Regional District also heard some good news, with the Sandspit emergency equipment project receiving $25,000

Around the rest of the Northwest funding has been directed as follows:

Bulkley-Nechako Regional District -- $25,000 -- Emergency Services Mobile Unit

Fraser Lake -- $25,000 -- Back up power program

Gransile -- $25,000 -- Primary EOC preparedness

Nisga'a Lisims Government -- $25,000 -- Nisga'a exercise project 

Smithers -- $24,400 -- EOC diversification project

Stewart -- $25,000 -- Public Emergency Communications System - Community Warning Siren completion project, personal training project. 

The Stewart project may catch the eye of many residents around Prince Rupert, the call for an emergency siren has been a frequent suggestion by the public in the city for a number of years.

Most recently in the days following the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Haida Gwaii in 2012 and a Tsunami Warning from last year.

Since those events, the City of Prince Rupert has launched an emergency alert system for phones and other electronic devices introducing it the public in April of 2018,

The City has however remained steady in their opposition towards the introduction of the large scale siren concept for this community.

For more background on the provincial funding announced today see their information statement here.

Communities across the Northwest can make plans to fill out more application forms. The next deadline to apply for this program is Oct. 25, 2019, for structural flood mitigation second intake.

More notes of interest on emergency events can be found from our earthquake archive, while items of interest on the Provincial government can be explored through our Legislature Archive.


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