Everyone Has A Role In Earthquake
Preparedness
- Desiree Hamilton, Emergency Planning Coordinator, Vancouver Emergency Management Agency
| City of Vancouver
D
id you know that a year after
The Great East Japan Earthquake,
more than 5,400 businesses had yet
to reopen and 1,000 businesses were
bankrupt within one and a half years?
The upcoming Great British Columbia
ShakeOut drill, taking place on October
17th, is the perfect reminder that we live
in a seismically active area. While we’ve
been lucky not to have any damaging
earthquakes in many years, we still need
to prepare for one. The ShakeOut drill
is not only an opportunity to practice
how to ‘drop’, ‘cover’, and ‘hold’, it’s
a chance to make a family plan with
loved ones and think about how best to
prepare in your place of work.
Emergencies and disasters are inevitable. The
question is not if they will happen, but when.
While it is impossible to know the specifics
ahead of time, using the best available
information to plan for what might happen
is the most effective way to be prepared for
what does happen. Preparedness is a shared
responsibility. Everyone needs to have a plan,
both at home and at their workplace. Being
prepared means first responders can prioritize
helping those who need it most.
14 Safety Scene
As a business/production company/theatre
etc., you should start with having a basic
preparedness checklist. Understanding the
kinds of hazards your workplace may be
exposed to is a good way to identify the
risks to your business. For example, while on
location in the Lower Mainland, it may be worth
having emergency plans for flooding or for an
earthquake. If on location in northern B.C. or
interior B.C. during summer, risk of fires could
hamper your activities.
Plan for your business
It’s just as important for businesses to plan for
emergencies and disasters. Disasters can be
devastating for local economies; well-prepared
businesses can recover faster and are essential
in helping their communities recover. If you
own or manage a business, it’s important that
you have a business continuity plan in place.
Do you have the supplies you need at your
workplace? Is your workspace safe, or are there
hidden hazards you may not know about? Do
you know how to reach your staff should an
earthquake take place, and do they know
what to do and where to go? All of these
important questions are covered in the City of
Vancouver’s Business and Employer Emergency
Preparedness (BEEP) guide.
For those interested in more information
on how to prepare for emergencies such
as earthquakes, the City of Vancouver
offers frequent (and free!) Neighbourhood
Fall 2019 Edition: Emergency Preparedness