Exercise Coastal Response in Ucluelet, June 2016. credit: Douglas Ludwig

“Ucluelet means "people of the safe harbour" in the indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth language,” writes Karla Robison, the District of Ucluelet’s manager of environmental and emergency services. “The District of Ucluelet has supported this meaning through the Emergency Service Department’s vision to showcase the municipality as a leader with innovative emergency management initiatives. This vision is shared by our council in its leadership, by dedicated emergency volunteer services, and in Ucluelet’s unique community spirit.”

On the western coast of Vancouver Island, at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, Ucluelet and its neighbouring communities in BC’s southwest seismic activity zone will have specific emergency management needs when hit with an earthquake of magnitude 8 or greater followed by a tsunami.

This past spring, a full-scale functional earthquake and tsunami response exercise—Exercise Coastal Response, led by Emergency Management BC —tested the BC Earthquake Immediate Response Plan and Ucluelet’s preparedness. But Ucluelet’s work to prepare the community for such an emergency extends beyond the exercise. The district runs an annual community tsunami evacuation drill, recently published an earthquake and evacuation guide, and has a multi-jurisdictional emergency network, an emergency notification service, community safe zones and kiosks, and a community emergency container of supplies.

Download Fall 2016

Read more about the District of Ucluelet’s leadership in emergency management in “People of the Safe Harbour,” in the Fall 2016 issue of Input, page 30.

More information about environmental and emergency services at District of Ucluelet

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