The Province and Emergency Management BC are planning an earthquake and tsunami response exercise for June 7 to 10 in Port Alberni called Exercise Coastal Response.
To make this exercise as real as possible for the teams involved, we’re asking for the public’s help! This is a great opportunity to be up close and personal with international urban search and rescue and emergency social services teams.
We are looking for people to volunteer in two categories:
· Medical patients: You will work with first responders and Heavy Urban Search and
Rescue (HUSAR). You will be treated to a medical makeover with movie-quality makeup artists and given a patient care script to follow during the course of your treatment.
· Emergency social service (ESS) clients: You will work with ESS teams located at reception and housing centres and represent those in need of shelter, food and water. At the end of your volunteer service you will receive a letter of recognition for your role in the exercise.
We are not only looking for people, but material as well. Our volunteer co-ordination team would like to hear about anything that can enhance the realism of the exercise including: boats, trucks or even junk that can help with Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR) training.
For further clarification on what we are specifically looking for in terms of material and volunteer support, please call 250 720-2709 or email portalberni2016@gmail.com to connect with the volunteer co-ordinators. We look forward to working with you to help prepare our province for a disaster and make Exercise Coastal Response 2016 a success!
“A plan is only as good as the paper it’s written on unless you exercise it, test it and improve it,” said Naomi Yamamoto, minister of State for Emergency Preparedness. “During this exercise in Port Alberni, the province will work closely with our First Nations and local authority partners to show how B.C. will support a coastal community in the event of an earthquake and tsunami. The Province has taken significant strides to progress our earthquake preparedness, and it’s safe to say we now lead the nation.”
Hosted in Port Alberni, Exercise Coastal Response is based on a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hitting off the shore of southwestern B.C. as a result of a rupture of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Emergency Management B.C. Connect with the Province of B.C. at: www.gov.bc.ca/connect
