On February 23, the Quadra Island Emergency Support Services Team will practise setting up an Emergency Reception Centre at the Quadra Island Community Centre. Two weeks ago, the SRD’s Protective Services Coordinator asked how feasible it was for CKTZ to deploy its’ “radio in a suitcase” to different locations on Cortes Island. The SRD is currently considering extending its fire protection zones on both Cortes and Quadra Islands. At its last meeting, the SRD Board approved funding to purchase mobile radio kits to enhance emergency “ … communications between the City of Campbell River, Homalco First Nation, and Wei Wai Kai First Nation.” These are only a few recent examples of how the SRD is preparing for an emergency in our area.
How Important Are Emergency Preparations?
“You are asking a guy with a bias. I think it is the most important thing we could ever do. I also look at the regional district over the long term. I live here; I love it here; I have a wife and home and dog here … Statistically speaking, over the long term something will happen. It’s not ‘if’, or ‘when’, If that Cascadia Subduction Zone goes off, that’s going to change the history of our nation. The more we can do beforehand to recover from that, the better off we will be,” says Shaun Koopman, the SRD’s Protective Services Coordinator.
An Inexpensive Example Of Preparedness
The SRD is purchasing eight ham radio kits like the one you see above. Should a major disaster take out the area’s communications system, they should be able to reach most of the areas not depicted red on the map at the top of this page. This deep penetration is possible because of the SRD-owned Heriot Ridge Repeater coverage. They could reach the red area by setting up a base, or transmitting from a higher elevation.