The Cariboo Fire Centre (CFC) and the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) will host an emergency wildfire response information meeting in 100 Mile House on March 28 at 6 p.m. at the Creekside Seniors' Activity Centre.
CRD and CFC staff will provide short presentations defining their roles and responsibilities in emergency and wildfire responses, as well as fielding questions from the public.
The meeting is being held in response to some recommendations made during the debriefing sessions that followed last year's fires, alerts and evacuations.
Also intended to improve communications and understanding in the event more wildfires or other emergencies occur this year, similar meetings will be held throughout the CRD’s coverage area until April 6.
Some people in the communities affected during last summer’s wildfires complained they experienced confusion about who was responsible for what, when the CRD ran an emergency operations centre (EOC) to notify residents of evacuation orders and alerts, while it was the role of the CFC to determine where and when those should occur.
“I encourage all residents to attend their closest open house session and learn more about the CRD’s emergency operations and the Cariboo Fire Centre,” says CRD chair Al Richmond.
“These meetings are in response to some of the recommendations made during the debriefing process, following last year’s fires, alerts and evacuations, and will help improve communications and understanding should we find ourselves battling fires or other emergencies in the upcoming years.”
For more information about these meetings, contact the CRD at 250-392-3351 or visit www.cariboord.bc.ca.
