In spring of 2020, the volunteer-driven Neighbourhood Emergency Response Program (NERP) received a grant from the Bowen Island Community Foundation’s Resiliency Fund to construct up to ten information kiosks.
Late in the fall of 2021, the neighbourhoods of Miller Road, Cates Hill, Eagle Cliff, and Bluewater/Bowen Bay — where the first four kiosks are located — applied for a Neighbourhood Small Grant to begin transforming the kiosks from being merely centres for posting information, to neighbourhood ‘emergency hubs’. Gathering places with emergency equipment such as: weatherproof and secure bench-boxes and plastic covered bulleting (seating and storage for first aid equipment that included pop-up tents, manuals, communication devices), weather-proof bulletin boards, solar panels, AEDs, etc.
The Miller Road and Bowen Bay/Bluewater neighbourhoods partnered to buy and install transparent plexiglass (Lexan) covering for the bulletin boards. Bowen Bay/Blue Water’s bulletin boards suffered some damage during the heavy wind and rain of January 2022. Miller Road decided to install the plexiglass as a precautionary measure. This work was completed on February 1, 2022. Five NERP volunteers and the Bowen Island Municipal Emergency Program Coordinator were involved in this project.
The Eagle Cliff neighbourhood used their portion of the NSG funding to purchase a solar motion light and small solar panel to power a battery for charging phones and laptops in an emergency. They simultaneously received additional funding for an AED which was installed before Christmas 2021 on the kiosk outside wall.
Two (volunteer) NERP Zone Coordinators took the initiative with this NSG project and secured the financial assistance of the Eagle Cliff Community Association (ECCA) to share in the cost of the AED.
The Cates Hill neighbourhood purchased an Emergency Survival kit containing nylon cord, emergency shelters, water purifying system, flashlights, hand crank radios, duct tape, food rations, a 108-piece first aid kit and much more. In addition, a solar powered LED security light was also purchased. Four NERP volunteers helped with the project.
The Cates Hill NERP volunteers are also planning on building or buying a weather proof container for the secure storage of emergency equipment (not from this round of NSG funding) in the next several months.
{Post Image:11}
