Cortes Island, August 29, 2017 – Cortes Community Radio CKTZ signs MOU with Strathcona Regional District, stating its willingness to provide temporary usage of the station during  emergencies.

“This memorandum of understanding is a significant milestone in our relationship with the Strathcona Regional District (SRD), and is fully aligned with the purposes laid down by Cortes Community Radio’s founders. Article 2.g of our constitution  states that one of the station’s purposes is “to establish an ongoing community radio station that can broadcast important information to the community in cooperation with emergency services,” said Roy L Hales, President of Cortes Community Radio.

The ability to disseminate information to the public during an emergency is a crucial pillar of emergency response. This memorandum of understanding will allow the Strathcona Regional District’s Emergency Operations Centre to pass valuable, confirmed messages directly to Cortes Community Radio. In the event regular communications become disrupted, the SRD has supplied Cortes Island with two radio kits and a satellite telephone in order enhance the degree of redundancy that is built into our ability to communicate tactical emergency information.

According to the Purpose statement of this MOU:

1. ”  … The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to confirm the willingness of the Cortes Island Community Radio Station CKTZ to provide temporary emergency use of its broadcasting station so we may establish a direct link between the Information Officer in the Strathcona Regional District’s Emergency Operation Centre [SEP] and CKTZ personnel. This way the SRD’s EOC can disseminate first-hand information to CKTZ and we can ensure the message being spread by CKTZ is consistent with the messaging being put forward by the SRD’s EOC.
2. “The SEP would only request to activate your facility(s) under an approved Emergency Management BC ‘Task Number’ or a State of Local Emergency that would provide the potential for reimbursement of eligible operational response and recovery costs. It will also at the time of the event communicate with your key facility contacts to discuss the best approach for the utilization of your facility should you have operational requirements to consider.
3. “The SEP will direct its Public Safety Lifeline Volunteers Emergency Communication Team to exercise reasonable care in the conduct of its activities and would replace or reimburse you for supplies used and for any damage incurred in the operation of the facility.
4. “It is also the intent of this letter to confirm the understanding of all parties that each will hold and be responsible for their own insurance as would be required for their normal day to day operation and/or use of named facility.”

Strathcona Regional District’s Emergency Program

The goal of the Strathcona Regional District’s Emergency Program is to ensure that communities in the region are safer and better prepared in the event of an emergency situation, by helping individuals and organizations become resilient and adaptive. The emergency program provides coordination, leadership and support throughout the regional district.

Leadership to all Emergency Operations Centre, Emergency Social Services and Ground Search and Rescue volunteer and staff teams in our region who will be called upon during an emergency event.

Coordination of emergency services for the City of Campbell River and four electoral areas while also supporting the Emergency Coordinators in Sayward, Gold River, Tahsis and Zeballos. The Strathcona Emergency Program coordinates regional emergency training, drills and exercises so teams can share skills and better anticipate challenges prior to  an actual event.

Support for preparedness initiatives throughout the Regional District.  Our goal is to build capacity within our region by educating people, neighborhoods and businesses to ensure they are better prepared to help themselves and others impacted by disaster.

About Cortes Community Radio

The Cortes Island Radio Society was formed in 2004 and broadcasts to Cortes, Quadra, Maurelle, and Read islands as well as Campbell River and parts of the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and Lund on the mainland. Cortes Radio broadcasts 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Top Photo Credit: Ferry from Cortes Island arriving at the Heriot Bay Terminal on Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada by David Stanley via Flickr (CC BY SA, 2.0 License)