With another wildfire season just around the corner, local officials are planning an emergency evacuation drill later this month to prepare—and fine tune how they’ll navigate a worst-case scenario for Whistler.
It’s all for show, and just for the first responders, but residents in the Spring Creek area can expect to see some activity on April 18 from 9 a.m. to midday, with 30 emergency management staff responding to a simulated scenario.
(Don’t worry, residents will not have to evacuate.)
According to a release from the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW), the Whistler Alert system will be tested through a series of notifications, and there will be emergency vehicles onsite responding to a wildfire scenario. The only disruptions noted are the RCMP onsite, who will be going door to door simulating evacuation notices for some of the 184 residences in Spring Creek—specifically in the Bear Ridge complex on Spring Creek Drive.
Those with questions about the exercise can reach out to [email protected].
According to the release, the coming fire season is expected to again be severe in B.C., necessitating the need for increased emergency preparedness.
“Over the past few years, we’ve seen an increased number of communities in B.C. affected by natural disasters—disasters that have required significant evacuation efforts,” said Mayor Jack Crompton.
“Because of the shifts we’re seeing with climate change, these events are becoming more common. Just this summer we saw wildfires devastate the community of Gun Lake (in SLRD Area A).
“I know that hit home for many of us. What we can take from this is that emergency preparedness is more important than ever.”
Staff at the RMOW receive Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) training through the Justice Institute of BC to better prepare the municipality to respond to emergencies or disasters should they come our way. According to the RMOW, simulations like the one planned for April 18 “bring it all to life, providing an invaluable opportunity to practice and determine gaps that may need to be filled outside of a real emergency scenario.
“The lessons learned from the exercise are expected to highlight key areas to improve in terms of planning, public engagement, notifications, and the evacuation process.”
Residents in the Spring Creek “evacuation zone” who want to know more about the evacuation process can take part in the simulation by taking direction from the RCMP on the day to make their way to the evacuation reception centre, which will be at the Spring Creek Fire Hall.
Spring Creek Community School, Spring Creek Daycare, Spring Creek Community Centre, PearlSpace and Zero Ceiling will not be part of the evacuation exercise.
All Whistler residents are encouraged to sign up for Whistler Alert, which is the official emergency notification system for Whistler. Those who are signed up will receive alerts via text, phone calls and email in the case of emergencies that may impact their health, safety or property. Read more at whistler.ca/whistleralert.
