About Emergency Planning

9-1-1
For Emergency Services
www.pep.bc.ca  (for information links to weather forecasts, road conditions, health alerts, wildland fire, avalanche and flooding)

www.interiorhealth.ca/Health+and+Safety/Emergency+info (for health information on forest fire resources, flooding resources and West Nile resources

Recent events have shown that emergencies can strike at any time. With that in mind, the RDCK has established emergency response services in order to ensure that services can effectively work together in times of crisis.

The Regional District has prepared Emergency Response Plans for seven areas: Creston and Electoral Areas A, B and C; Salmo and Electoral Area G; Nakusp and Electoral Area K; Electoral Area H-The Slocan Valley, and Nelson and Electoral Areas E and F, Kaslo and Electoral Area D and Electoral Areas I and J.

In Central Kootenay, the three most-likely emergencies are forest fires, floods, and hazardous materials spills. When such events happen, many agencies are required to come together to help people. Consider this abbreviated list of members of one emergency response committee: BC Ambulance, RCMP, BC Gas, Telus, Aquila, the Red Cross, Emergency Social Services, four local fire departments, First Nations representatives and area hospitals.

When a emergency occurs, these organizations must be able to evacuate residents without hesitation and provide them with clean water, food and shelter.

Under this program, the municipalities and rural electoral areas work together to deal with emergencies.  The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), where planning and coordination take place, does not tell police and fire departments what to do at the site of an incident, but rather brings in support agencies to make sure everyone is up to speed on what's needed and where it's needed.