Like everyone else I've been watching the wildfires in the interior of BC, and even had family members unable to get to their home near Kelowna. It's all a good reminder that we're also sitting on the edge of forest, and sometimes the woods get pretty hot and dry.
Here on the North Shore we have a regional body that coordinates emergency services -
North Shore Emergency Management. From their offices above the RCMP detachment in North Vancouver they offer workshops, training, and try to anticipate what kinds of disasters might befall us, and how we might survive. They do good work.
Still though, if you scour their site you'll see a whole lot of "be prepared" advice - fill up your closets with food, water, and
Grab and Go bags, and don't forget about your
cats and dogs - but not much about what is in place after the Big One arrives.
In working with the NSEM people the one thing I took away is that you really need to think about your own circumstance, how you might find yourself isolated if one or more bridges are blocked, and a realisation that it will quickly come down to every person for themselves.
As much as we might snicker at the
Preppers south of the border, we should understand that our local and provincial governments probably won't have resources available to help everyone who needs it.
This month, as soon as this year's fires abate, you can expect a series of stories describing a lack of resources for people who have lost homes or jobs, shortfalls in government services, and complaints about mean-spirited insurance companies. And, if we're lucky, an examination of how many of the recommendations that followed the
2003 Firestorm Review were actually acted on.
In the meantime we should all be talking to our elected officials about what we can expect in the event of an earthquake or major fire.
UPDATE: Hot off the presses at the
District of North Vancouver is the new
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
