B.C. seeking public input to improve disaster-related support

Were you evacuated because of wildfires, flooding or some other disaster recently?

The province is seeking public input when it comes to disaster-related evacuations, which over the last decade have become commonplace, especially in wildfire regions.

“During the 2023 wildfire season, thousands of people were asked to evacuate their home on short notice, and the province was there to support them,” B.C.’s environment minister, George Heyman, said on Thursday.

“Times like last summer are challenging, uncertain and emotional for people, communities and businesses, and we learned a lot about how we can better support people in the future from experience and conversations that are ongoing.”

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Heyman continued, saying public input is “incredibly important and is essential to ensuring our work on improving Emergency Support Services (ESS) matches the needs of people who require them the most.”

The province says it’s revamping its approach to emergency support, seeing as disasters are increasing in frequency and severity.

ESS provides short-term support – shelter, food, transportation and clothing — to people affected by disasters.

In looking at how to improve ESS, the province says it’s seeking feedback not only from evacuees, but also front-line workers, volunteers and businesses.

The survey will be open until Feb. 9 at 4 p.m., and is available online.

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The province says collected feedback will be implemented before the 2024 wildfire season.

It also noted that last summer, approximately 24,300 households were placed under evacuation order and more than 7,000 households requested and received support from ESS.

“Last summer, thousands of Shuswap residents were forced to evacuate their homes and our ESS team helped families meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter,” said Cathy Semchuk, emergency program co-ordinator for Columbia Shuswap Regional District.

“Our ESS team appreciated the opportunity to participate in the recent engagement sessions, where we had the opportunity to share our experiences, success stories and ideas for improvements. Whether you are a volunteer, an evacuee or a supplier, please complete this survey to help improve ESS.”

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