BC must shore up risk-crisis communications before, during and after wildfires: report

Article content

KAMLOOPS, BC – Upgrades to communications systems in British Columbia wildfire zones are needed to save lives and property, says a report released Wednesday.

Article content

The Thompson Rivers University report, which examined British Columbia’s communication practices during the devastating 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons, calls for improvements to better inform people of the risks before, during and after wildfires.

The report did not analyze the most recent wildfire season in the province, but its recommendations remain current and apply to fire-ravaged communities of Lytton and Monte Creek that faced communication challenges last summer, said Professor Michael Mehta, who led the study.

“When it comes to managing the risk of wildfires and other disasters, we need to dramatically improve, right now, the way we handle things before they happen, while they happen and they follow up, especially if there is damage like Lytton, BC “, Mehta. he said in an interview.

Article content

Much of Lytton, located about 250 kilometers north of Vancouver, was destroyed by a wildfire on June 30, following consecutive days of record temperatures above 45 ° C.

Two people died in the fire.

In August, homes and buildings in the Monte Lake community, located between Vernon and Kamloops, were destroyed by a wildfire.

“By simplifying and improving communications and applying this lifecycle approach that we recommend, we believe we will see higher levels of trust and more responsive action to messages from government and organizations,” said Mehta. “This should reduce property loss. It should reduce the loss of life in the end. Is essential.”

The 89-page report, entitled “A Life Cycle-Based Model for Risk and Crisis Communication During Wildfire Events in British Columbia,” makes six recommendations, including ensuring that remote and indigenous communities have systems of robust communication where emergency officials can quickly and accurately convey information about wildfires.

Article content

Mehta said improving Internet services to remote communities or at least providing local officials with a satellite phone to communicate immediate information on wildfires offers better protection.

Being able to access reliable and up-to-date information on the status of wildfires in local areas is necessary for safety and security, he said.

“The biggest problem faced by governments, first responders and emergency management organizations in 2017 and 2018 was how to publish credible and timely information that would give people the right tools to make decisions, especially when there was misinformation in the social networks and a lot of contrary information. Mehta said.

Wildfires burned more than 12,000 square kilometers in 2017 and 13,500 square kilometers in 2018.

Article content

He said people must be able to receive information from official sources or face the possibility of unofficial and unreliable information emerging.

“What happens is that sometimes you end up with misinformation, misinformation, misinformation, or no information and people have to fly through the seat of their pants to make decisions about which way to go in an evacuation,” Mehta said. “All of these things are in the air when you don’t have that kind of coordination in place.”

He said any renewal of communications services must also include offering help to individuals and communities after the wildfires because mental health services are needed in what will be prolonged periods of increased anxiety about the dangers of the fires.

BC Wildfire Service CEO Ian Meier said in a statement that the service has the report and is committed to continuous improvement.

A 2018 report by former British Columbia Cabinet Minister George Abbott and Hereditary Chief Maureen Chapman called for a review of the province’s disaster response, including improving communication gaps and First Nations relations. .