B.C. updates earthquake response plan, urges residents to be ready
October 20, 2022
By Avert staff
The B.C. government kicked off its 2022 “ShakeOut Week” this week with a reboot of its earthquake response plan.
The 2015 Earthquake Immediate Response Plan is being replaced by the Provincial Earthquake Immediate Response Strategy. According to a government news release, the new strategy is flexible, scalable and can be used for other disasters.
“Last year’s floods and wildfires were a reminder that disasters caused by natural hazards can happen at any time, and this strategy will build on the Province’s overall preparedness for all types of emergencies to keep people and communities safe,” said Jennifer Rice, B.C.’s parliamentary secretary for emergency preparedness.
The new strategy address First Nations relationships, vulnerable populations, technology, service delivery strategies, and experiences during the pandemic and 2021 atmospheric rivers, the province said.
B.C. plans to hold a large-scale earthquake exercise – Exercise Coastal Response 2023 – in February to practice an integrated response with federal, First Nations and local governments, along with critical infrastructure operators and NGOs.
Read Rice’s full statement on the 2022 Great British Columbia ShakeOut here.
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