Emergency Planning

The District of Sparwood is committed to providing leadership and guidelines to meet the challenges associated with emergency management

This includes preparation and planning to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of its citizens, and to provide an effective response and recovery as much as possible.    The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) established the RDEK Elk Valley and South Country Emergency Program which included Electoral Areas A and B, City of Fernie, and Districts of Sparwood and Elkford.  As a participant of that program, the District of Sparwood has adopted the emergency management commitments and response methodologies with the East Kootenay Emergency Management Plan.  

Plan for an emergency with your family

You and the other members of your family might not be together during a disaster or other emergency. It is important to have a plan that will help you communicate and find each other after the emergency.

You also need to make sure that every member of your family knows what to do if they are at home alone during an emergency. You should create a family emergency plan, and then review it with your family regularly - every six months, when the clocks change - to make sure that everyone understands it and remembers it.

What your Emergency Plan should include

When you create your family emergency plan, you should:

• Identify objects in your home that could be dangerous during an emergency
• Plan evacuation routes from every room in your home
• Pick two meeting places where you and your family can get back together if you get separated - one close to your home, and one a little further away
• Ask an out-of-province relative or friend to be your family contact person
• Prepare your emergency kits
• Teach family members how to turn off utilities, use a fire extinguisher, and call 9-1-1
• Make arrangements for seniors and family members with special needs
• Save digital copies of important documents - such as birth certificates and financial records - on a memory stick, or make photocopies of them

Evacuation Notification System

The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) launched the Evacuation Notification System (ENS) earlier this summer. This system powered by Voyent Alert!, will help keep residents and property owners, in the East Kootenays, informed of any evacuation orders or alerts issued during critical events such as wildfires, floods or hazardous materials incidents. The system allows users to pin multiple locations and will send out notifications to anyone with pins in defined order/alert areas via text, phone calls (both landline and cell) and for smartphone users, via a dedicated app on their phones.

This service is FREE and anonymous. It is available to all residents and property owners in the East Kootenay. Whether you live in a municipality, a rural area, or you own a second home within the region, you will receive a notification if you have subscribed and there is an evacuation alert or order affecting your chosen locations. To learn more about this new service or to register, please visit https://www.rdek.bc.ca/departments/emergencyservices/emergencyinfo/.