Kamloops EOC gears up for summer wildfire season

“It’s making sure that roles and responsibilities are understood by the staff who may not normally do that in their day to day work.”

Wildfires are the most frequent reason for the EOC to be activated, but it is also used to respond to floods, epidemics and dangerous goods spills.

“Particularly at this time of year, we’re also being prepared for extreme heat, as well, as that is always a big threat to Kamloops,” Ty Helgason, the city’s emergency preparedness manager, added. “As well as any city infrastructure failure that we could be activated for.

“It’s impossible to predict and we just try to be ready for whatever may come.”

Given it is emergency preparedness week, Helgason says these preparations are important so the city is able to help residents and visitors should it be necessary.

“When an incident happens, it’s a very high pressure situation and it would be a really challenging time to be coming up with our plans and what we’re going to do,” Helgason said. “The mantra we follow is to plan the work in advance so when a disaster happens, we can just work the pre-established plan.”

Personal Preparation is Key

It’s not just local governments – personal preparation is also key and it’s something the United Way wants to make sure people are aware of, as well. The organization has created free guides for seniors, families and community groups to help with items like grab-and-go bags, emergency kits and evacuation plans.

“We know for vulnerable populations like seniors, preparedness is key,” Kristi Rintoul, the United Way’s senior director of community impact and investment, said. “Unfortunately, something we see year over year is seniors being evacuated without essential items like their prescriptions, for example, and that can have dire consequences.”

The organization is also encouraging people to check on their neighbours – especially seniors, the disabled and people with no one to look out for them, or even those who aren’t able to easily access resources online.

“Especially here in the Interior of B.C., we know that it’s not if, its when, so even if it is just smoke, it’s important to make sure you’re taking care of yourself and you have the resources you need to shelter in place and to be healthy and safe. Preparation is key.”

Officials say to ensure your BC Services Card app is activated and updated so Emergency Support Services (ESS) find their way to you. They also say to download the Voyent Alert app, which is how the city and the TNRD issue emergency alerts directly to people.

“During an emergency, we will work with local governments and issue a broadcast intrusive alert, if needed,” Kelly Greene, B.C.’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness, said. “Sometimes we augment that with door-to-door notifications to make sure people are aware of what is happening.

“Sometimes phones are on settings where you don’t get the alert and we want to make sure everybody is getting the information they need to keep themselves safe.”

Seasonal Plans

In a report, Helgason said the city’s extreme heat response plan will look similar to last year. It will include free swimming, skating and indoor and outdoor cooling options. New this year, the downtown Kamloops Y will also be offering free swims during extreme heat.

“The Emergency Preparedness Program continued to evolve its approach to extreme heat by implementing a more decentralized and accessible cooling model,” Helgason said, in a staff report.

In that report, he said the city’s extreme heat response was activated five times during the summer, totalling 23 activation days.

The Heat Response Pass which was introduced last year will returning, Helgason added. He said 43 people took advantage of the free public swimming, while 32 people took part in free seniors drop‑in programming. Free public skating supported 30 participants.

“To expand community‑based cooling options, the City piloted outdoor misting stations at high‑use and heat‑vulnerable locations, including McArthur Island Park and the North Shore Transit Exchange,” Helgason added.

The plan will also continue to promote neighbour health checks and expanded community outreach. It’ll also include the sharing of messaging aligned with the BC Heat Alert and Response System (HARS).

The city also plans to share information on how to prepare for extreme heat, available heat relief options, and key safety messaging on its website and social media channels when the extreme heat response plan is activated.

Regular Training to Come

In EOCs in Kamloops and across the province, there will be regular training exercises held over the course of the ‘hazard season,’ though the focus largely remains around the summer months and wildfire season.

“We also are a big host community to various wildfire-prone communities in the north and central Interior,” Beatty added. “We would be helping people shelter and recover from a generally traumatic and stressful evacuation, place them in accommodations and generally meet their immediate needs.”

“We’ll also then coordinate the need for those resources through the local government that is ordering them away from their community.”

But Beatty said the hope is whatever is to come is something that can be managed without impacting a significant number of people.

“We’re very optimistic that it’s going to be a very smooth season, but we also have to be prepared,” he said. “Have your grab-and-go bag ready, your BC Services Card updated onto your phone, and Voyent Alert and then listen to those prompts.”

“It’s also really important to know to be prepared for things like power outages or utility outages, insurance considerations, what to pack in case of an evacuation but also what to have on hand in case you need to shelter in place,” added Rintoul.

“Doing all these things ahead of time is important because once the sirens start, it’s a bit too late.”

by Victor Kaisar

Kamloops EOC gears up for summer wildfire season

Personal Preparation is Key

Seasonal Plans

Regular Training to Come

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