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Vernon, Enderby receive emergency preparedness funding

Two of six communities recently approved for share of $3 million
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Volunteers build a wall of sandbags to keep the rising creek from flooding the Kindale Seaton Centre in Vernon. (Morning Star file photo)

Emergency preparedness coffers are getting a boost in Vernon and Enderby.

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 – Enderby, Esquimalt, Port Coquitlam, Port McNeill, Tsawwassen First Nation and Vernon – have had their funding requests approved for ESS training, capacity building and equipment. These communities will receive a share of approximately $3 million.

“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.”

Related: Flooding hits Enderby

Related: Vernon prepares for floods

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 and 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 and Oct. 25, 2019: Structural Flood Mitigation Intake 2.



parker.crook@vernonmorningstar.com

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