Emergency Preparedness 

Since 2006, the BCCPD Emergency Preparedness Project has been a leader in promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in emergency preparedness in BC and Canada. Please see below our many projects and outreach activities related to emergency preparedness.

Community Training in Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities

Through our partnership with Volunteer Canada, this project trained over 200 individuals representing over 120 community organizations from BC, Yukon, Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick in emergency planning for people with disabilities.

The training manual we created, Prepare to Survive - Prepare to Help, is full of exercises and resources for community groups who want to play a role in emergency planning and response in their communities.

Download Prepare to Survive - Prepare to Help here.

Also see the Community Organizations link on our Library/Emergency Preparedness page for new PowerPoint presentations. These PowerPoint files will assist trainers who want to use certain exercises in the Prepare to Survive manual. Training podcasts and videos coming soon.

Other Publications

Since 2008, we have distributed over 1900 copies of our Workplace Emergency Planning for Workers with Disabilities handbook. We also co-created a wallet card tool that assists people with disabilities during an emergency. The card, piloted in 4 BC communities, assists people to communicate their functional needs and required services, without disclosing detailed information about their disability, to Emergency Social Services workers.

Emergency Planning for Businesses

BCCPD has created a new program to train businesses, government departments and community organizations how to create emergency plans that include people with disabilities and seniors. By taking SITE, Strategic Inclusive Training for Emergencies, you'll learn how to make your emergency plans inclusive–and meet your WorkSafe BC requirements. Learn about SITE here.

9-1-1: Help Emergency Services to Help You 

If you call 9-1-1, will emergency personnel understand your needs? The BCCPD has worked with the BC Ambulance Service (BCAS) to help you be prepared. Now, people with disabilities and seniors can voluntarily and confidentially provide BCAS with information that will help them respond better to your needs, if you should ever have to make an emergency 9-1-1 call from your home. This is how it works:

1. You fill in this form, outlining your "functional needs". For example, if you have difficulty speaking and use a wheelchair, you would check off both the Communication and Independence boxes.
2. Email or fax the completed form to BC Ambulance Service.
3. BCAS will enter the information for your address into their dispatch computer database.
4. If you have to call 9-1-1 from your home address, your information will appear on the BCAS computer, so they know what functional limitations you have in order to respond to your 911 call better.

In the Community

Community Presentations

We regularly give presentations to organizations and attend conferences in the community. In 2011, we delivered presentations and workshops to the following:

• Through the Victoria Emergency Management Agency, 35 organizations from the Victoria region
• The Annual BC Emergency Preparedness Conference for emergency managers and responders
• The City of Burnaby Access Advisory Committee
• The City of Surrey Emergency Social Services managers and volunteers
• Westcoast Mental Wellness network
• Douglas Park Community Centre, Cerebral Palsy Group
• Vancouver Headway Program, Howe Sound Rehabilitation Services
• Vancouver Park Board
• Vancouver City Council

Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities Committee (EPPDC)

The BCCPD coordinates the Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities Committee (EPPDC). New members are welcome.

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Current Committee Involvement

Including People with Disabilities and Seniors

Contact Karen Martin for more information on our Emergency Preparedness program at:

604-875-0188
karen@bccpd.bc.ca

And, see all our free publications in the Emergency Preparedness section of our Library.