For 2025, we organized two Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Plan meet ups. We spread the word about our meetings through email, posters, word of mouth, door-to-door flyers, and answering questions at doorsteps. A member of our organizing team even included information about our initiative in the Compass Vancouver Island magazine.
We arranged for two speakers for our first meet up on June 8. Beverly Reist, a seasoned emergency management and disaster response specialist with a career that spans Team Rubicon Canada, Canadian Red Cross and the BC Provincial Government presented to us. Beverly spoke about what happens in a neighbourhood in an emergency and how we can use our skills to contribute to a response. Then Cari McIntyre and Lt. Brent Craven presented on the Emergency Operations Centre in the Comox Valley, Community Evacuation Orders, Alerts, and Rescinds, NEPP and FireSmart collaboration, and the Comox Valley Emergency Support Services (ESS) Volunteer Program.
After the presentations, the 6 emergency volunteer committees met. One important recommendation from the committees was that each neighbour on the Beaufort Avenue-Jane Place contact list should receive an OK/HELP sign to place in a window to alert first responders in the event of a declared emergency. These signs were delivered by the NEPP team.
Building on the success of our first neighbourhood potluck, our team again planned and held a neighbourhood potluck on September 6. Neighbours from Beaufort Avenue and Jane Place came together for a fun and successful gathering.
Research has shown that neighbourhood get togethers build a resilient community whose members have greater success during and after a major disaster.
Two speakers presented at our second meet up on October 25 on the topic of Emergency Pet Services in the Comox Valley. Amanda Thompson and Bente Morris from the Emergency Management Oceanside Pet Care Response Team presented on the welfare of pets in the aftermath of a disaster or widespread emergency.
Amanda and Bente also alerted us to the fact that the BC Services App that many of us have on our smart phones, offers an Evacuee Registration and Assistance option to register for support in the event of an emergency or evacuation. Neighbours requested the opportunity to learn more about this in an upcoming NEPP meeting.
Cari McIntyre, Manager, Comox Valley Emergency Management, also provided information regarding preparedness in the event of a declared emergency.
We encouraged participants to complete/update the Resident Contact Information Sheet.
Looking ahead, future meet ups in 2026 will include a speaker on the topic of flooding and continued work on the part of each of the 6 volunteer committees.
Our community is becoming better prepared to help each other in the event of a declared emergency. We are building connections and community resiliency.
We wish to express our gratitude for the support of Neighbourhood Small Grants, Comox Valley for our NEPP community initiative.
