Senior government downloading has forced local municipalities to tackle more disasters.
The City of Vernon says it has been left responding to emergency situations, particularly in waterways, because the provincial government isn’t as active as it previously was.
“Any time there is an incident, they should be the lead but they now go to the local government,” said Brent Watson, emergency manager, of fuel or sewage spills in creeks and lakes.
Those incidents add to the city’s costs and responsibilities.
There is also a concern that there will be fewer federal and provincial dollars for training and equipment.
“That impacts how we conduct our business,” said Watson.
But not all emergency management challenges are bureaucratic in nature.
Aging infrastructure could increase the number of incidents crews respond to.
“Enderby is an example of this,” said Watson.
“Their storm sewer system was not able to handle rain last year and flooding occurred.”
More development in hazard areas, such as the forest interface, could lead to emergencies like wildfires.
North Okanagan Emergency Management averages 30 to 35 responses a year — from single-family house fires to mass evacuations because of wildfire.
Among the more high-profile incidents in recent years were the Terrace Mountain blaze in 2009, cases of the H1N1 virus in 2009, the Antwerp Springs water contamination in 2010, the Skyline Manor apartment fire in 2011 and bovine tuberculosis at a Cherryville farm last year.
North Okanagan Emergency Management is part of the City of Vernon but it is provided to all other local jurisdictions under contract.
“It’s a true regional program and one of the few in the province,” said Watson.
There are two full-time staff and one part-time employee, but the program primarily relies on the assistance of more than 100 volunteers during an emergency.
