The Town of Qualicum Beach will apply for an $80,000 emergency preparedness grant on behalf of itself and the City of Parksville.
The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund is a suite of funding programs that aims to improve the resiliency of local governments in responding to emergencies. It is currently accepting applications for funding that supports emergency operations centres through purchase of supplies or training.
Parksville and Qualicum Beach collaborate through Emergency Management Oceanside, and although each maintains its own emergency operations centre, there is a plan to operate together from Qualicum Beach Fire Hall in case a joint location is required, according to a report by Kate Pocock, emergency program co-ordinator.
“It’s just good planning on both sides,” said Mayor Doug O'Brien during council's Feb. 19 meeting. “We’re saving a considerable amount of money by combining our exercises that we do for EMO as well as we have identified the Qualicum Fire Department as a secondary muster point in case of an emergency.”
The funding will provide for numerous projects that include an emergency operations centre training exercise that focuses on evacuation in the region; purchase of 12 laptops, with six maintained and stored by each municipality; emergency management training focused on response and recovery finances; rapid damage assessment training; emergency radio supplies to augment and repair existing equipment; and purchase of incident command system vests to meet the anticipated need in case of a joint emergency operations centre.
Parksville council unanimously approved a motion that authorizes Qualicum Beach to apply for the grant on behalf of the two communities.
The Community Emergency Preparedness Fund is administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities and is funded by the province.
