Emergency Preparedness 2019
Key Messaging from BC’s Tourism Industry
Prospective guests are asked to contact or connect with Drive BC; BC Parks; Emergency Info BC; Destination BC; individual community visitor centres; government of BC website; to determine where to go or where not to go in British Columbia.
Destination BC Update
Emergency Resources for BC’s Tourism Industry
As you know, emergencies can impact travel, visitors and businesses at any time, and potentially influence those who may be planning a trip to our province.
Stay safe, stay informed
During times of stress and uncertainty, it is important to share information from official sources only. There are a variety of resources available to help you prepare for emergencies, gather up-to-date information and help visitors plan their travel.
Step-by-step guides to prepare businesses and their staff for emergencies, with templates and tools to help operators easily plan a fast and effective response.
Emergency Info BC
Information about emergencies in BC, including evacuation orders and alerts.
Twitter: @EmergencyInfoBC
Drive BC
Information about road closures, major events, and transportation delays.
Twitter: @DriveBC
FLOODS
River Forecast Centre
- Analyses snow pack, assesses seasonal water supply and flood risk, and predicts flows in BC’s rivers and streams. It produces a range of bulletins, maps and warnings to inform emergency managers and the public about current and upcoming streamflow conditions.
- Flood Warnings and Advisories
- Current Water Levels and Flood Forecast Modeling
- Snow Conditions and Water Supply Bulletins
Preparing Your Business for a Flood
- British Columbia is prone to flooding due to our mountainous terrain and the wet weather that comes in from the Pacific Ocean. This information kit provides businesses with an overview of key activities to help prepare for, and react to, a flood event proactively.
WILDFIRES
- Interactive map of all active wildfires across the province.
- Twitter: @BCGovFireInfo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo/
- Campfire bans, restrictions and forest use
- Report wildfires to *5555 on a cell or 1 800 663-5555 toll-free.
PARKS AND RECREATION SITES—WARNINGS AND CLOSURES
- Information regarding Provincial campgrounds and park closures.
- http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/
- Alerts, closures and warnings regarding BC’s rustic campsites and recreational trails.
- www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/camping-hiking/sites-trails/alerts
WEATHER ALERTS
- Resource for the latest weather information, statements, and air quality advisories.
- Twitter: @environmentca
EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
- Information regarding emergency reception centres and assistance.
- Support for the displaced, and group lodging
- Community news, training and certification, support resources
- Evacuees can register with the Red Cross by calling 1-800-863-6582
- BC community support services
- Twitter: @RedCrossBC
What Tourism Business Owners Can Do:
- Share these resources with your staff and follow key social media accounts for the latest news.
- Help your guests:
- If your business is located in an impacted area, provide your current customers and future reservations with regular updates, by directing them to official information sources.
- If your business is not impacted directly, help your current guests plan the rest of their trip to areas that are safe and open for business (your local visitor centre has a wealth of information on places to stay and things to do).
- If your business is not impacted directly, be proactive with future reservations—let your customers know it’s business as usual and you are looking forward to hosting them. British Columbia is a very large province and sometimes our out-of-province guests can get confused by geographically misleading information.
- Have a plan—use the PreparedBC: Tourism Resources to prepare for emergencies and to identify potential hazards.
TIABC Updates
TIABC has created a wildfire public service announcement that tourism operators and stakeholders are encouraged to post at their places of business: www.tiabc.ca/advocacy-policy-development/bctourismmatters/wildfire-psa
Flooding 2018
See BC Parks website for most up to date information: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks
The B.C. River Forecast Centre reports, “Disturbances such as fire affect the hydrologic response of streams, rivers and lakes relevant to potential flooding. Specifically, flows from snowmelt dominated watersheds impacted by fires tend to be greater and peak earlier as compared to undisturbed areas, even under normal weather conditions. Many of the regions affected by burns last summer have above normal snow packs this year.”
If you are experiencing flooding issues that affect your home or business, please call the Provincial Emergency Reporting Line at 1-800-663-3456. For other concerns, contact the Cariboo Regional District at 250-392-3351 or 1-800-665-1636.
Find more information on flood preparedness, current freshet conditions and emergency updates at:
- CRD Website: www.cariboord.ca/services/emergency-and-protective-services/emergency-operations-centre-eoc/recovery
- CRD Emergency Operations Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/CRDEmergencyOperations
- Prepared BC – Disaster Readiness Information: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/preparedbc
- BC River Forecast Centre – Snow Conditions and Water Supply Bulletin: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/air-land-water/water/drought-flooding-dikes-dams/river-forecast-centre/snow-survey-water-supply-bulletin
- Sandbagging – General Information: www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca/how-to-build-a-sandbag-dike/https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/embc/flooding/sandbagging.pdf
BC Wildfires – Economic Impact Surveys
Regional destination marketing organizations are seeking information on the economic impact of the current wildfire situation on tourism businesses.
Your input provides the provincial government with a comprehensive overview of the effects on businesses in both directly affected and unaffected areas. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below:
- If you work or operate a business in the Thompson Okanagan region, please click here for your survey.
- If you work or operate a business in the Kootenay Rockies region, please take this survey.
Please share the survey with your colleagues and encourage them to complete it as well in order for us to gain the most insight. Thank you for your participation.
