Another six communities have been approved to receive a share of approximately $3 million in provincial emergency preparedness funding to support emergency social services.

In December 2018, 25 communities were approved for Emergency Social Services (ESS) funding under the second intake of the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund. The additional six communities have had their funding requests approved for ESS training, capacity building and equipment. The following communities are receiving funding: Enderby, Esquimalt, Port Coquitlam, Port McNeill, Tsawwassen First Nation and Vernon.

“Six more communities, including two in the Lower Mainland and two on Vancouver Island, are going to be better supported in their ability to provide a lifeline for those who have been evacuated in an emergency,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “That means more help for individuals and families in need and more support for the many volunteers who provide this lifeline when people need it most.”

The Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) released the funding for Intake 2 of the Emergency Social Services component of the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) that was announced at the UBCM convention in September 2017. The funding is part of a $33.5-million plan designed to help communities prepare for, and respond to, disasters.

The CEPF is a suite of programs designed to enhance the resiliency of local governments and their residents. The Province provides the funding, which is administered by UBCM and divided into five streams:

• Flood Risk Assessment, Flood Mapping and Flood Mitigation Planning
• Emergency Social Services
• Emergency Operations Centres and Training
• Structural Flood Mitigation
• Evacuation Routes

The next deadlines to apply for this program are:

• Feb. 1, 2019: Emergency Operations Centres and Training Intake 2
• Feb. 22, 2019: Flood Risk Assessment, Mapping and Mitigation Intake 2
• Oct. 25, 2019: Structural Flood Mitigation Intake 2