EMO News Release - April 19

Emergency Preparedness Week - May 1-8
Along with the ongoing pandemic, the past year presented us with a heat dome, drought, forest fires, heavy rain, and devastating floods at a level not seen before. Our world is changing, and we need to be ready for anything. The theme for 2022 Emergency Preparedness Week is “Be Ready for Anything”. We encourage everyone to consider their family and work situation preparing for anything which could change or disrupt your normal day. Why would we put this responsibility on you? Because only you know what you need to help you and your family get through the stress and trauma of an emergency or disaster.

For all of us to get through an emergency or disaster and return to normal faster, there are three groups needing to work together and ensure their preparedness. To be ready for anything, you and your family need to be prepared with a plan and supplies to help you through the emergency. Local government must have a plan on how to provide support to residents, deal with the emergency and recover while providing as much regular day-to-day service as possible. The province must also have a plan on how it will support local governments with people and supplies when needed. When all three of these groups have a practiced plan, we will all be ready for anything.

Emergency Management Oceanside is continuously working to improve plans to support Oceanside residents and businesses for any emergency or disaster. EMO is now working with the City of Parksville and Town of Qualicum Beach to improve business continuity plans to ensure Oceanside residents will have reliable, essential service in an emergency. We purchased new technology through a provincial grant to make our Emergency Support Services program more efficient; providing displaced residents the help they need faster. We are reviewing and renewing all our emergency hazard plans to ensure they reflect current regional hazards and their impacts.

The province is working to improve their readiness, EMO is doing the same. We urge you to work with us to be ready for anything.

Everyone has a role to play in an emergency. Emergency Preparedness Week is an opportunity for you to take action to ensure you are prepared to protect yourself, your family, and your community during an emergency.

• Know the risks
• Make a plan
• Get an emergency kit

Learn how quick and easy it is to become better prepared to face a range of emergencies – anytime, anywhere. Basic steps will help you take care of yourself and your loved ones during an emergency.

Be Ready for Anything resources on EMO website includes:
Get Prepared has great info about floods, power outages, sever storms, earthquakes
Emergency preparedness guide for people with disabilities/special needs
Emergency kits and supplies
Being prepared at home, work, school, your vehicle
Business and employer preparedness
Travel preparedness
Protecting your pets
Tsunami preparedness

Recent Hydro Power Outage
The power outage on Sunday, April 19 in the mid-Island region was a perfect reminder that we need to be prepared for any emergency which might come our way. The not so seasonal, unusual snowstorm caused outages to power, cellular, internet, and social media. All this meant EMO had no reliable way to get messaging to you and to see where support may have been needed.

Thankfully, the weather was mild, and power was interrupted for five hours only. Imagine if this situation had occurred in January at minus 5 degrees and lasted for 24 to 48 hours. Are you comfortable with the emergency preparedness measures that you now have in place?

With longer term events, EMO would plan to open reception centres where residents could come to warm up and to help with information about the situation. If there is no ability to get messages to you, you would need to watch for signs on main roads with instructions on where to find an open warming centre. This is our plan, what is yours? Are you ready for anything?

GENERAL INFORMATION

Town of Qualicum Beach
Town Hall is open to the public with full services. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm (except statutory holidays). Although the office is open, residents are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the other payment options including payment through your financial institution; mail a cheque; or drop off a cheque at Town Hall drop box (location below). If you do wish to visit Town Hall to conduct business, masks are recommended while in the building.

• Email qbtown@qualicumbeach.com
• Phone 250 752-6921
• Post PO Box 130, Qualicum Beach V9K 1S7
• Mail Slot Out front of Town Hall, nearest the fountain
• Website

City of Parksville
City Hall is open to the public from 8 am to 4 pm and our operations department from 8 am to 4 pm and closed noon to 1 pm.

Information when visiting:

• Access to the Parksville Civic and Technology Centre is from Jensen Avenue East and from the library parking lot.
• Masks are recommended while in the building.
• The public is welcome to attend Council meetings in-person; however, attendance is limited. Meetings may be viewed from the City’s website.
• If sick, please stay home.
• Refer to the City website and Let’s Talk Parksville for more information.

COVID-19 Resources
BC Centre for Disease Control
Island Health
Vaccine info - 1 833 838-2323
Medical COVID-19 information - 811

For more information:
Aaron Dawson, Emergency Program Coordinator
City of Parksville
adawson@parksville.ca

Deb Tardiff, Manager of Communications
City of Parksville
dtardiff@parksville.ca