Emergency Response B.C. has announced it will conduct a four-day earthquake/tsunami response exercise in Port Alberni this June.
In advance of the provincial exercise, Hupacasath First Nation has announced it will conduct its own full-scale emergency response exercise on March 5.
“This is for Hupacasath members or for people who are living on our reserve,” said Hupacasath Communications Coordinator Jolleen Dick.
Last year, Hupacasath received funding for training, logistical planning and equipment.
“Last month we did a tabletop exercise in our boardroom. Our facilitator, David Hughson, threw obstacles at us: ‘There’s a car crash here. There’s people injured and it’s blocking the road. The clock is ticking, there’s 30 minutes until the tsunami arrives. What do you do?’”
The goal now is to translate that tabletop experience into a community-wide, real-time, realistic, people-moving exercise that will allow Hupacasath members to practice the skills necessary to survive a natural disaster.
But don’t look for car wrecks and speeding emergency vehicles, Dick added.
“We are concerned about our members’ safety. The goal is to show people what could happen; these are the routes; these are where obstacles may happen… we don’t want people driving around crazy for our full-scale exercise. Basically, we want to get them to our mustering points, where we will all meet together.”
Members are invited to gather at Ahahswinis Hall at 10 a.m. on March 5. Beginning at 10:30, David Hughson will conduct a workshop laying out the plans for the entire exercise.
Following the workshop, members will return to their homes to await the emergency notification, which will include the estimated arrival time for the “virtual” tsunami.
Following the drill, participants are then invited to return to the hall at 6:45 p.m. for debriefing and a meal.
