McDougall Creek wildfire helped shape emergency support improvements: B.C. Government
B.C.’s emergency preparedness minister said the wildfire in West Kelowna last summer offered some key lessons for improving emergency support services.
Speaking at a wildfire update press conference Wednesday, August 21, Bowinn Ma said the McDougall Creek wildfire was a big learning experience for the province.
“We enhanced Emergency Support Services [this year], learning from the experience of the Central Okanagan when we had mass evacuations that resulted in people waiting literally days to access Emergency Support Services,” Ma explained.
“Emergency Support services are meant to be there for people the day that they need it. It’s to help ensure you have a safe place to stay, that you have food, that you’ve got clothing. If you had to leave your home with nothing but the clothes on your back, the government would be there, through Emergency Support Services, to make sure you were able to handle that time away from your home.”