Quesnel City Council is supporting a request for 25 thousand dollars in provincial funding for it’s emergency operations centre and training.
The money would allow the City to purchase equipment for it’s emergency operations centre, to update staff training on dealing with emergency situations and to update the evacuation plan.
Mayor Bob Simpson noted that while these nominal grants are fine, he would prefer more consistent funding, especially since emergency planning and emergency operations centres are really downloading from the Provincial Government….
“The legislative responsibility rests with the Provincial Government and we step in and pick up the slack, so we need a funding formula that comes to us to give us the incremental resources we need to have a solid up to date emergency plan and a solid up to date ability to activate that plan.”
Simpson went on to say they also don’t get any funding for the airport, which was used as an emergency centre this summer.
kari bolton
The grant application will be made to UBCM through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund for Emergency Operations Centres and Training.