By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle
Plans have been established for 2024 to bolster Oliver’s emergency and disaster management program due to incoming provincial legislation, and the review of the town’s 2023 freshet response.
Adam Goodwin, Emergency Program Coordinator for the town, presented the Emergency Program Work Plan for 2024 to council laying out what steps will be taken in 2024.
The province’s new proposed Emergency and Disaster Management Act (EDMA) and the After Action Review of the May 2023 freshet which overwhelmed Wolf Cub Creek informed the plan.
The intention is to produce a more holistic approach outside of just response planning to include governance, mitigation and preparedness, response, and training.
When it comes to governance, the town is planning to update the Emergency Program Bylaw 1361, addressing areas that are outdated and do not align with the new legislation. There will also be meetings of the Executive Emergency Committee to “provide leadership support to the emergency program”.
When it comes to mitigation and preparedness, the town will support community readiness for emergencies with Emergency Preparedness Week, which will be the first full week of May 2024.
The town also plans to continue to advertise VoyentAlert!, which is the major communication channel for the town to inform the public during emergencies.
As for the response part of emergency management, the town received specific recommendations from the after action review of the flooding event. The main recommendation was a more coordinated Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
The town is seeking to develop, in 2024, a dedicated space in the basement of Town Hall so that it is readily available for any smaller emergencies. The Fire Hall will continue to be the main EOC for larger activities and emergencies, but as Goodwin explained to council that space is too large and can be an impediment to the Oliver Fire Department when it comes to certain smaller scale EOC activities.
Goodwin also explained that the town is planning on conducting preparations for the upcoming season and conducting staff training in May 2024.
As part of these plans, the town also approved sending an application for a grant of $30,000 from the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Emergency Operations Centre Grant.
This funding would go towards supporting wages for staff work time to increase the town’s capacity for its emergency program, at a cost of $15,000.
The remaining $15,000 would be broken down into $6,000 for staff training such as conferences, courses and an annual training exercise, $5,000 towards new wiring, tables, and chairs for the new EOC, and $4,000 towards purchasing Information Technology (IT) equipment such as computer upgrades and support equipment for the emergency program’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Along with these discussions, council also signed off on the final version of the regional feedback letter to the province about the incoming provincial legislation around the Emergency and Disaster Management Act which had a deadline of January 31, 2024.
More information on the town’s emergency preparedness information can be found at Oliver.ca under the town services tab. Under the “prepare for emergency tab” there is also a link to sign up for VoyentAlert!
