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New provincial funding to help expand emergency supports for evacuees in B.C.

April 3, 2023, Victoria – In B.C., more than 57 First Nations and local governments will receive funding to improve and modernize emergency support services for people evacuated from their homes during emergencies.

More than $2.2 million from the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund will support communities to expand their capacity to provide emergency support services through volunteer recruitment, retention, and training, including in-house training, and the purchase of equipment..

The funds will also support the modernization of local emergency programs to move toward digital registration and reporting through the Evacuee Registration and Assistance online tool. This will help communities move to online registration and allow direct payment to evacuees.

Additionally, the funding will be used to focus on promoting knowledge sharing, enhancing mutual aid between communities, and allow applicants to act as host communities for evacuees.

The money may be used for buying supplies and equipment, training and exercises for responders, responder recruitment and retention activities, and personal protective equipment..

Funding will go to 57 projects throughout B.C., such as sea-cans for three sub-regions to store supplies like cots, blankets and generators and a trailer in the East Kootenay Regional District, emergency food rations if an emergency cuts off access to Port Alice, and equipment to establish a 100-bed group lodging facility in Abbotsford, among others.

In February, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness committed $180 million more to the fund, bringing the total investment to $369 million since its establishment in 2017.

More than $113 million has been approved for First Nations and local governments through Community Emergency Preparedness Fund for almost 1,400 projects that help communities mitigate and prepare for disasters and climate-related emergencies.