Streamlined training and emergency support service funding increase will better support evacuees in Nanaimo

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NANAIMO – BC NDP MLAs Doug Routley and Sheila Malcolmson say more Emergency Support Services (ESS) responders in Nanaimo will be prepared to provide support to evacuees during emergencies thanks to new streamlined training and increased ESS funding.

“Emergency Support Service responders play a crucial role in supporting British Columbians during disasters like wildfires and floods,” said Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan. “This new funding will ensure that these responders have the proper training and equipment required to keep themselves and our communities safe.”

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. The new training, which starts May 4, condenses the current week-long training model, allowing people to rapidly become trained as an ESS responder during emergencies. This 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.

“In times of crisis, volunteer Emergency Support Service responders selflessly support communities across the province,” said Sheila Malcolmson, MLA for Nanaimo. “This new modernized program will make being a volunteer or accessing a volunteer much more accessible, and this new funding will help Snuneymuxw First Nation put emergency services into action in a way that’s best for their community volunteers.”

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.

In the Nanaimo area, the following First Nations are receiving this strain of ESS funding:

  • Snuneymuxw First Nation – SFN Emergency Support Services Project
    • Approved amount: $30,000.00
  • Stz’uminus First Nation – Emergency Trailer #2
    • Approved amount: $18,472.46

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.

Additional information: https://news.gov.bc.ca/30476