Revelstoke's emergency service leaders gathered along a panel table Tuesday evening, May 6, to inform community members what preparation and response for extreme weather events and other major incidents can look like.
At this debut emergency preparedness town hall, held at the Revelstoke Community and Aquatic Centre, local police, fire and planning representatives weighed in from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on various regional disaster and evacuation scenarios.
David Mohn, Revelstoke's emergency program coordinator, shared that the most recent safety hazard analysis for the region was done in 2022 and that the Revelstoke and Area Emergency Management Plan has been more recently updated and may be made available online this May.
In addition to Revelstoke's emergency operations centre (EOC), located at the airport, a backup EOC is designated for the firefighter training grounds in Industrial Park, near the end of Powerhouse Road. Mohn reported that Revelstoke usually activates its EOC for emergency situations a couple of times per year, usually to support other communities in the region, with the most recent instance being the July 2024 Trout Lake wildfire.
At the city level, communities should have a minimum of an EOC coordinator, he said, but can tack on as many as 15 different staff roles that cover planning, logistics, risk assessment and finance.
Staff Sgt. Chris Dodds of Revelstoke RCMP explained that B.C.'s police detachments are trained for "tactical evacuations," such as what happened at the 2023 fires in West Kelowna and the 2021 atmospheric river that swept the southern province.
He added that in such evacuations, "we can't force you to leave, but if you do leave, you can't go back."
For Revelstoke, Dodds noted B.C. has some 8,000 police officers to lean on for support, including Kelowna RCMP's Emergency Response Team. Local RCMP can even pull from detachments across the border in Alberta, he added, and BC RCMP's headquarters in Surrey has a Provincial Operations Support Unit.
City communications coordinator Francesca Williams chimed in to discuss how residents can stay better informed about emergency updates. Revelstoke's Alertable notification system, which can be downloaded from the app store on iOS and Android devices, works not just for smartphones but also for landlines, and additionally has a "Find me" option, she explained.
Bigger and more "invasive" national notifications, such as Amber Alerts, will also come to residents' smartphones, Williams said, adding that the City of Revelstoke's social media shouldn't be the only place community members go looking for information.
"By all means follow, but don't rely on it solely," she advised.
Fire Chief Steven DeRousie discussed the three components each resident requires to be prepared: an understanding of potential hazards, emergency plans for the household, and a grab-and-go kit of essential supplies. Kits should contain enough supplies to last between three days and two weeks, and include your latest CRA assessment and small dollar bills for situations where card transactions can't be made.
"This will just be enough to get you somewhere where the system is back up and running," DeRousie said, adding it's ideal to store the kit in your home, not in your vehicle, during colder months.
Personal emergency plans should include details about your house or apartment, including the different possible exits available, for scenarios where residents must evacuate or even take shelter there, DeRousie said.
"If you're habitual like me, you take the same route every morning and evening," he added, emphasizing it's essential to map out alternative routes inside and outside your home.
He advised residents to pick multiple emergency meeting points — one near their residence, and one farther away such as a library or community centre. Those with children should proactively arrange with someone else who can collect them from school if the parents can't, while those without a personal vehicle should plan ahead with a friend who owns one. Guidelines also exist for navigating emergencies if you have a disability — including preparing extra prescription copies or arranging spare mobility devices — or even a pet or service animal.
Should residents ever find themselves having to evacuate, DeRousie discouraged shutting off gas and water lines, which may cause safety risks upon return.
"It'll become a biohazard and be very expensive," he noted, adding it's crucial to leave it to professionals to shut and reactivate your lines after you've left and come back.
Residents can visit preparedbc.ca to design and print their own polished emergency plan. Brenda Jones, Revelstoke's emergency support services director, explained that residents can also create a profile with B.C.'s Emergency Support Services program at ess.gov.bc.ca, and download the BC Services Card app on their smartphone. One feature provides a QR code that residents can use to receive e-transfer compensation for essentials such as food while under evacuation.
Most emergencies, DeRousie clarified, aren't short-lived. The West Kelowna fire evacuation stretched almost two months, according to him, and the 2023 Adams Lake fire is another example.
"The list is long," city manager Evan Parliament said, emphasizing the number of Interior communities affected by disasters in the last decade. "You don't have to go far from this region."
Along with panellists highlighting that emergencies can include public health crises such as COVID-19, the conversation even covered what discussions Revelstoke is having for better event safety, in the wake of the horrific Lapu Lapu Day incident on April 26 where a motorist intentionally drove through a Vancouver crowd and killed 11.
"It starts with a dialogue without RCMP and other stakeholders who make up our team," Dodds said, adding all major events in town receive pre-approval from police to ensure adequate security measures are allocated.
Anything from a small farmers' market to a big music festival, he continued, will now be subject to increased public safety precautions, including potentially blocking off venues to vehicle traffic.
"Probably more on the table now than ever," Dodds said.
The conversation on emergency preparedness continues later this month, as Tourism Revelstoke hosts the city's first-ever Wildfire Week from May 26 to June 1, in collaboration with FireSmart BC. Learn more and register for events at seerevelstoke.com/events/revelstoke-wildfire-week.
