Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

City of Kamloops feels ready for potential emergencies during upcoming wildfire season

May 9, 2019 | 5:01 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops and Kamloops Fire Rescue say they’ve prepared in case of another big wildfire season, like the ones the province has experienced in each of the last two years.

Emergency program coordinator Dan Sutherland says all agencies took a lot from the last two wildfire seasons, especially 2017 when Kamloops was one of the provincial headquarters for evacuees.

“We’re a very strong community. I think we have a very capable community as far as the emergency support services piece,” said Sutherland. “I think we are well prepared. I think we’ve learned a lot of small lessons that add up to a great wealth of knowledge. No single point can I put my finger on that is any great, big revelation. I think we were well prepared. I think we are now better prepared as a result of what we’ve experienced and seen.”

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Sutherland notes the new city council and other city staff have been fully trained in emergency situations in case they’re needed this year. He also says the City of Kamloops Emergency Operations Centre has been upgraded.

“We’ve got that facility newly laid out with some more capacity and capabilities in it, so we’re excited about that,” said Sutherland. “We’ve had elected officials training. A number of the elected officials that were elected last fall, not only in the City of Kamloops but in the entire region, took emergency training, so they understood their roles in times of emergency.”

Emergency Services Day happens on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Aberdeen Mall. All agencies that respond in times of emergency will be on hand.