Being ready and being prepared was the message from Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall to the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention on Wednesday.
Hall was part of a panel talking about managing crisis situations caused by flooding and fires with Al Richmond, chair of the Cariboo Regional District and Mayor of Kelowna, Colin Basran.
“The presentation gave us an opportunity to give an overview of how we were able to deal with the situation,” Hall said. “And also an opportunity to address what we did in a leadership role.”
Nearly 11,000 registered evacuees made Prince George their temporary home after being evacuated during the Cariboo wildfires this summer.
“Each city felt really, really good about the way they reacted to their specific situation,” Hall said. “Thanks to the first responders, volunteers and to the community. I’m so proud of of our city.”
But according to Hall, there are always lessons to be learned from situations like this.
“Whether evacuating or accepting evacuees, the key is to be prepared, to communicate with all levels of government including federal, provincial and regional, and there are many needs to focus on in terms of services that we can provide because evacuees need services just as our residents do,” Hall said. “We also talked about the need to educate and communicate. This was a big focus – to be able to fully communicate to evacuees and in terms of the wildfire situation in their particular area.”
Coordination with other cities is also vital for Hall.
But all in all, preparation is the key.
“No matter where you live, there is a lesson to be learned and that is whether flood or fire, you must be ready,” Hall said. “How to be prepared, that was the big thing we got out of the day.”
