SURREY- BC NDP MLAs Sims and Starchuk say more Emergency Support Services (ESS) responders in Surrey will be prepared to provide support to evacuees during emergencies thanks to new streamlined training and increased ESS funding.
“As a former fire fighter, I know how important it is to have somebody to help in times of need”, says Mike Starchuk, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. “This investment into Surrey’s emergency support services will provide the necessary training to volunteers to make sure that evacuees can receive the supports they need, when they need it the most.”
The B.C. government is launching a one-day training model for ESS responders in response to feedback from communities and input from the Premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies starting May 4. The new training condenses the current week-long training model, allowing people to rapidly become trained as an ESS responder during emergencies, which will make the training more accessible for many people who want to be volunteers. The course will prepare new ESS responders to provide trauma-informed and culturally safe support both in-person or by phone, which will help provide more ESS responders across B.C. in places that might not have a large volunteer capacity.
The government is also supporting almost 100 local ESS projects with more than $3.27 million through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF). Funding will help communities expand their capacity to provide ESS, as well as support the modernization of their ESS program to include more digital and remote support options.
The City of Surrey is receiving $25,000 for ESS training and equipment.
“As Surrey continues to grow, it is important that our community continues to train more volunteers to keep our city safe in times of emergency”, says Jinny Sims, MLA for Surrey-Panorama. “The province’s $25,000 investment in ESS Equipment and Training will expand our ability to care for our growing community.”
The CEPF helps communities to better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of climate-related emergencies by funding local projects and initiatives in several categories. These include disaster-risk reduction and climate adaptation, public notification and evacuation-route planning, and emergency operations centre equipment and training.The Province has invested $369 million into the CEPF since its establishment in 2017. Approximately $176 million has been provided to First Nations and local governments through the CEPF for more than 1,800 projects. This includes over $13.5 million to support local ESS teams.