An early morning emergency notification sent Thursday, Sept. 22, throughout the Cariboo region advising about a hazardous materials incident in 100 Mile House was sent broader than intended.
The District of 100 Mile house sent the emergency notification through the Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System but mistakenly sent the message to a broader distribution than intended due to a human error, the CRD and District of 100 Mile House noted in a joint press release.
The Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System was used to send a message to 100 Mile residents who signed up for notifications through the system. The notification was also mistakenly sent to all landlines listed in the white pages for the Cariboo region.
“The District of 100 Mile House apologizes for the inconvenience this broad distribution caused. However, it is important to emphasize that the Emergency Notification System was working correctly and remains a valuable tool to inform the public during emergency situations,” Mayor Mitch Campsall said.
Cariboo Regional District Chair Al Richmond added that normally, emergency notifications are specific to locations and residents that are impacted.
“The scenario this morning was an exception to the norm. We urge residents to sign up for this important emergency system to ensure you receive important emergency information.”
On May 5, 2015, the Cariboo Chilcotin Emergency Notification System was launched for residents throughout the Cariboo region. Led by the Cariboo Regional District and in partnership with 100 Mile House, Quesnel, Wells and Williams Lake, the system is available to all residents free of charge and provides mass emergency notifications.
Residents who register for the program will receive notifications about emergency and time-sensitive events happening near their home, work, school or other locations that they have pre-selected during registration. Residents can register to receive these updates using up to six different ways including:
• Home phone(s)
• Office phone(s) with extension(s)
• Cell phone(s)
• Text Messages
• Mobile App (iPhone & Android)
• Email(s)
To register, visit your local government’s website and select the “Sign Up For Emergency Notifications” icon on the home page to register. Everyone that has a cell phone, a personal email account, text messaging or access to downloadable apps needs to register to know what is happening and what to do when an emergency strikes.
If you require any assistance in registering please do not hesitate to contact your local government office:
• Cariboo Regional District – cariboord.ca or call 250-392-3351 or toll free 1-800-665-1636
• District of 100 Mile House – 100milehouse.com or call 250-395-2434
• City of Quesnel – quesnel.ca or call 250-992-2111
• District of Wells – wells.ca or call 250-994-3330
• City of Williams Lake – williamslake.ca or call 250-392-2311
