The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is on the verge of Exercise Coastal Response, a culmination of the dedicated work of hundreds of Emergency Management BC employees and public safety partners across the province. This is the province’s first full-scale earthquake and tsunami response exercise, and the labour and planning involved in preparing for it over the past 10 months has been extraordinary.

I am very proud of the work of our Ministry and Emergency Management BC for realizing this vision, and I am excited for the legacy this exercise will have on the overall safety of British Columbians in the event of a real catastrophic earthquake and tsunami.

Our ongoing work in emergency and natural disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery has led the Province to this exercise. As outlined in the BC Earthquake Immediate Response Plan – we all have a role to play, and emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. But the success of a provincial response to a disastrous earthquake scenario will rely heavily on the preparedness and familiarity that our government and all off our public safety partners have in our roles as emergency managers and leaders.

It is critical that all levels of government continually work to better predict, prepare for and respond to emergencies and natural disasters, and this exercise is a significant step in the right direction to protecting the safety of our province. This is our time to lead the country in emergency preparedness and prove what we are capable of as individuals, teams, and as a province.

Becky Denlinger

Deputy Minister – Emergency Management, Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure