by Laura Walz editor@prpeak.com Elected officials have agreed to support the establishment of a regional emergency management service, which will include the City of Powell River and rural areas in the Powell River Regional District (PRRD).
Last year, directors commissioned a study on the viability of expanding the existing PRRD emergency management service for rural areas to include the entire region. The study was presented to PRRD directors last month and to city councillors this month. The study found that the formation of a regional emergency program will provide greater confidence that lives will be saved and property damage minimized and would place the region in compliance with all federal and provincial legislation. “Coordination with a regional scope will provide clarity for the residents throughout this region as well as clarity of direction for public and private emergency response providers,” the report states. “A regional program will also be the basis upon which to improve preparedness, training, response and recovery from major emergencies.”
The study also calls for consideration of a regional plan format similar to the mid-Vancouver Island emergency management plan and to continue discussions with Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation about its participation in the program.
Dan Ouellette, the city’s director of fire and emergency services, told councillors that the study speaks to the advantages of a single full-time emergency program coordinator with a regional mandate. “This model is desirable and really does make sense,” he said. “Larger emergencies and disasters know no boundaries.” The report notes that even major events that only directly impact one particular area of the region could result in significant impacts for the region as a whole.
The study identifies an annual budget increase of $60,994 above the current combined emergency management budgets of the city and the regional district. The proposed regional service would cost $191,052. The city would pay $97,436 of that, an increase of $36,534 over its current funding level. The regional district would contribute $93,615, an increase of $24,460 over its current funding level.
The majority of the cost increase will be used to support a full-time emergency coordinator position. Ouellette’s report stated that the director of fire and emergency services currently manages all the training, travel, coordination and administration for the Provincial Emergency Program, Emergency Social Services and the search and rescue programs. “This is time consuming and onerous,” Ouellette wrote. “The creation of a full-time emergency coordinator position will free up valuable time for the director of fire and emergency services.”
At the October 20 council meeting, councillors adopted a motion to support the establishment of a regional emergency management service. They passed a second motion to consent to the adoption of a PRRD emergency preparedness regional service establishment amendment bylaw to include the city in the regional district’s emergency preparedness service. The bylaw amendment expands the regional district’s existing emergency preparedness service to include the city with Electoral Areas A, B, C, D and E.
The PRRD board is expected to approve the initial readings of the bylaw at tomorrow’s board meeting, October 27. Then it must be forwarded to the Inspector of Municipalities for approval before it can be adopted.
