Emergency Preparedness on Seabird Island
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Jessica HittProject Summary
Seabird Island is located in British Columbia, Canada, and is home to a First Nation population. Increased precipitation and snowmelt threaten to flood the community of Seabird Island. To proactively prepare the community for possible flooding, the Seabird Island Emergency Response Team has developed an emergency preparedness plan that was distributed to community members through a door-to- door awareness and educational campaign spearheaded by the local fire department.
Background
Seabird Island is located in the upper Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Canada. For decades, a First Nation population has inhabited Seabird Island; currently the estimated population is 535 residents. In 1958, Seabird Island was granted sovereignty over its lands and then in 2009, the community accepted a Land Code initiative that granted the reserve land and resource management to the local government. A Land Advisory Board was formed to guide the community’s decisions on future land use policies. As part of the land management plan, Seabird Island is currently working on updating its emergency preparedness plan. Climate change may increase the likelihood of regional flooding due to heavy precipitation and snowpack melt. In response to these potential impacts, the community took a precautionary approach and formed the Seabird Island Band Emergency Response Plan.
Implementation
Because it is likely that in the case of a substantial flood many Seabird Island residents will not have any emergency rescue service for the first 72 hours, the Emergency Response Team asked the Seabird Island Fire Department to go door-to-door in the community to bring residents a checklist of items to have at hand and a detailed evacuation plan. The suggested Emergency Kit includes water, food, flashlight, wind-up radio, first aid kit, and prescription medicines. If an evacuation is necessary, elders and people with special needs would be the Seabird Island Fire Department’s first priority and hydro and gas lines will be turned off to protect the town’s infrastructure.
Outcomes and Conclusions
Seabird Island is working to proactively address some of the potential impacts of climate change. The safety of its citizens is of utmost importance; hence the Seabird Island Fire Department launched a door-to-door campaign to raise community awareness and help residents prepare for an emergency. The community intends to continue to plan for the impacts of climate change and is in the process of reanalyzing its construction standards, zoning, and building codes.
Citation
Feifel, K. (2010). Emergency Preparedness on Seabird Island [Case study on a project of the Seabird Island Indian Band]. Product of EcoAdapt's State of Adaptation Program. Retrieved from CAKE: http://www.cakex.org/case-studies/emergency-preparedness-seabird-island (Last updated December 2010)