*Last updated 08/14/2024 at 10:33 am.
With wildfire season approaching, it is crucial to be well-prepared to ensure the safety of older adults. This 2024 Emergency Preparedness Resource Database is designed to provide essential resources to long-term care and assisted living operators in B.C.
Key Contact Information
- HEMBC Lower Mainland On-Call 1-855-675-2436
- HEMBC Interior On-Call 1-855-851-4193
- HEMBC North On-Call 1-855-554-3622
- HEMBC Vancouver Island On-Call 1-250-370-8575
Fraser Health
Business Hours:
- Community Access Team Line: 604-519-8500
- Curtis Snider, Regional Director
Phone: 604-396-8369
Email: Curtis.Snider@fraserhealth.ca
After Hours:
- Community Access Team Line: 604-519-8500 (leave message)
- Curtis Snider, Regional Director
Phone: 604-396-8369
Email: Curtis.Snider@fraserhealth.ca
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Interior Health
Business Hours:
- Aaron Miller, Executive Director, Seniors Specialized Care Transformation
Phone: 250-718-0789
Email: aaron.miller@interiorhealth.ca
After Hours:
- Clinical Operations LTC Admin on call: 1-855-852-5612
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Northern Health
Business Hours:
- Tracee Dunn, Executive Lead for Elder Services
Phone: 250-570-7505
Email: Tracee.Dunn@northernhealth.ca
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Coastal Health
All-Hours:
- General Licensing: 604-675-3800
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Island Health
Business Hours:
- Emily Pridham, Emergency Preparedness Director
Phone: 250-203-3573
Email: Emily.Pridham@islandhealth.ca
After Hours:
- HEMBC Vancouver Island On-Call at 1-250-370-8575
Coming soon.
Emergency Preparedness Toolkit for LTC / AL Operators
The LTC/AL Provincial HEM Subcommittee was established to create an emergency preparedness forum that fosters collaboration and continuous improvement among inter-Health Authority and affiliate/private entities.
Its primary goal is to coordinate shared evacuation planning and readiness for Long Term Care and Assisted Living residences across the province.
Here, you can find a comprehensive list of resources developed by HEM-BC and the provincial sub-committee to support these efforts.
The Inter- and Intra- Health Authority Relocation (IIHAR) toolkit provides tools and resources to facilitate patient relocation during emergencies, covering all stages from preparation to repatriation. It takes a patient-centred, culturally safe, and risk-based approach, with special consideration for the most vulnerable.
Find the toolkit on HEM-BC’s website > IIHAR (bottom of the page)
For an overview of how to use the toolkit, watch the instructional webinar or review the presentation slide deck.
- For an overview of tools found in the IIHAR Toolkit, view the one-pager here.
To prepare for potential emergencies, care sites are requested to pre-emptively complete the Sending Site List. This list includes all residents/clients who may need to be evacuated, along with their pertinent mobility and clinical information.
For further information and instructions on completing the list, review here.
View the LTC/AL Evacuations Standard Operating Procedures slideshow here or preview it below.
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DACS
Deployable Alternate Care Sites (DACS) are portable care units that can be set up on short notice in the event of an emergency. Packaged within a shipping container, DACS contain necessary medical supplies, patient beds and various other logistical and clinical support equipment.
British Columbia has four DACS for the entire province. Long-term care homes and assisted living residences are encouraged to consider alternative options for procuring equipment before requesting DACS support.
Review a full list of supplies included in the DACS, including beds, mattresses, lifts, slings and more, here.
To request the DACS, please contact the HEM-BC On-Call number for your region, and they will initiate the request process.
Regional Contacts
- Lower Mainland: 1-855-675-2436
- Interior: 1-855-851-4193
- North: 1-855-554-3622
- Vancouver Island: 1-250-370-8575
Questions should be submitted to the HEM-BC Provincial Operations at HEMBCProvincialOperations@phsa.ca
Situational Awareness Apps
Consider downloading one or more of these local situational awareness apps to stay informed.
Download the WeatherCan app to receive the latest weather alerts notifications in your area.
Key features:
- Current conditions, hourly and 7 day forecasts for over 10,000 locations in Canada
- Push notifications for all weather alerts issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada for your location and saved locations anywhere in Canada
- Weather information for your location (following you as you travel) as well as for saved locations
- High resolution radar animation on a zoomable map background
- A message centre providing weather facts and climate information relevant to the current weather
- Today and short-range forecast widget for quick, at-a-glance weather information
The official BC Wildfire Service mobile app is available for free download in the App Store and on Google Play.
The BC Wildfire Service App provides up-to-date wildfire information on your mobile phone, helping you stay informed about wildfires and wildfire-related events and conditions across B.C.
Evacuation Notification System by District
Temporary Emergency Registration Process
BCCNM is accepting applications for temporary emergency registration to support emergency health-care response related to environmental emergencies – such as wildfires or flooding – this summer.
Temporary emergency registrants can practice nursing in British Columbia for up to 180 days, with possibility of extension if required.
Eligibility
To apply, visit the application page for your profession:
The BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry (the ‘BC Registry’) accepts applications from out-of-province Health Care Assistants (HCAs) who wish to be eligible for employment in BC.
Health Care Assistants who received their education in Canada (but outside of British Columbia) can apply via the Expedited Pathway.
Long-term care and assisted living providers with HCAs who wish to work in BC, particularly those interested in supporting wildfire and emergency response this summer, are encouraged to direct these workers to:
- Register through the BC Registry’s Expedited Pathway.
- Complete a vulnerable sector criminal record check via the Criminal Records Review Program.
- Sign up for the Ministry of Health’s Emergency Health Provider Registry (see more information in the accordion below).
Learn more about becoming registered as an HCA with the BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry here.
The Emergency Health Provider Registry is an online registry to support the proactive and voluntary deployment of health sector workers to communities across B.C. during emergency events including wildfires, floods, and pandemics.
Health sector workers and students are invited to learn more about the registry by reading the FAQs.
To sign up for the registry, please use the following link: Health Provider Registry for BC’s Emergency Response (gov.bc.ca)
Completing this form does not obligate you to respond to emergency events, and participation in any deployment is always voluntary. Signing up for the registry does not guarantee that you will be contacted for deployment.
Employees are encouraged to discuss registration with their supervisor in advance, as deployments may require sign-off from their supervisor.
If you encounter problems completing this form or if you have any questions about our collection or use of personal information, please email your inquiries to EHPRQuestions@gov.bc.ca.
Worker Health and Safety Resources
Extreme weather can arise quickly and pose several significant and sometimes overlapping health and safety issues. These resources from our partners at SafeCare BC can help care providers keep their staff safer in extreme weather conditions.
