Minister Bond Responds To Earthquake Reporting
Thursday, November 1, 2012 @ 7:22 AM
By Shirley Bond
Minister of Justice
Oct. 31, 2012
Saturday night’s earthquake near Haida Gwaii serves as a
reminder to all of us just how important it is to be prepared for
emergencies. In the days since this event, a number of questions and
concerns have come forward around how and when communities received
tsunami information from the B.C. government.
We have a robust and multi-faceted emergency management system in
British Columbia, one that is recognized globally for its efficiency
and effectiveness. While much of the public and media focus has been on
social media, it’s critical to remember that it is just one part of
what is a comprehensive notification system.
I know that last weekend, in response to the earthquake, the system
worked well at the local-authority level and our operational team at
Emergency Management BC (EMBC) responded quickly and worked diligently
to keep the public informed. This is not to suggest there aren’t
aspects of the response that can’t be done better.
On Saturday, as is the case when any earthquake happens and there is
the potential a tsunami may impact British Columbia’s coast, the first
official notification came within minutes from the West Coast and
Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre (WCATWC) in Palmer, Alaska. The WCATWC
sent this notification to EMBC as well as to the many local
governments, agencies, media and individuals who are registered with
the WCATWC notification system. As is appropriate, many local
authorities began acting as soon as they received this initial
notification.
As the next step to further increase awareness of this notification,
EMBC staff then began using a variety of tools to relay this critical
emergency information to local governments, media and key stakeholders.
In fact, within 12 minutes the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC)
began directly calling provincial emergency management staff and local
authorities in the impacted regions.
Local authorities are the first responders in B.C.’s communities and
are required by legislation to have emergency plans in place that
include procedures for relaying critical emergency information to
residents and visitors.
The initial tsunami notification from the ECC also went to senior
levels of government, representatives from the military and Public
Safety Canada, RCMP, utilities and BC Ambulance. Last weekend, we saw
the leadership of local authorities up and down the Coast as they
activated their emergency action plans.
One of the other majors tools government uses to contact British
Columbians directly is the Provincial Emergency Notification System
(PENS). This was added in 2006 as part of our earthquake and tsunami
response plan and uses technology to systematically send tsunami
notifications via phone, fax and email to thousands of first
responders, local governments and the media.
Our government will do everything we can to notify as many people as
possible. Our first priority is to contact first responders and those
who will lead the local emergency response, and then to let them take
over and decide how best to contact the citizens of their communities.
The staff behind our @EmergencyInfoBC Twitter feed will always be
working to find that right balance between accuracy and timeliness in
how we post social media updates, but at the end of the day, the fact
remains – if Mother Nature has let you know there is a problem, don’t
wait for your cellphone to ring, or to get a text or Twitter message.
Move into emergency mode and activate your plan. Especially if we’re
facing a large earthquake or other disaster, your Internet or cellphone
access may be limited and it will be your initial response that saves
your life.
The most important thing for people in coastal areas of B.C. to
understand is that when the ground shakes – especially if it goes on
longer than a minute – that’s the first notification that a tsunami
could impact the area. Anyone in coastal locations who feels strong
shaking from an earthquake should assume that a tsunami may have been
generated and should immediately move to high ground as soon as the
shaking stops.
We must never forget that emergency preparedness begins with each of us
as individuals. All British Columbians should have emergency plans and
kits in place for themselves and their families. You can find out how
to create your own emergency kit at: http://goo.gl/fNFa3
And all British Columbians should take the time to familiarize
themselves with their community’s emergency plan.
As with any large emergency response, I have asked EMBC to conduct a
review of how our response and communications systems worked. It’s only
responsible that we continue to look at not only what went right, but
more importantly, where we can improve and how we can better work with
our emergency response partners in local communities to notify and
protect our citizens.
I can reassure British Columbians that our government is committed to
providing a world-class public safety response.
Comments
Twitter would be the last place I would be looking for information in the event of an emergency.
Well there ya go…Now that`s a little bit better than one mans opinion,and does not cause mass hysteria.
Enjoy your last few weeks there shirley. May is coming really soon and you are going to be turfed out along with the rest of your HST loving lackeys. Your performance here on this matter is just another fine example of your complete disregard for the taxpayers or as snooki calls us “Families” of this province. You and your crew are going to be eliminated come next may. So keep up the great work shirley, while you can.
Soon the HST will be extinguished. Along with all the liberals that made this the (best) most expensive place on earth.
I don’t usually agree with her but in this case I do. It’s common sense, you are responsible for your own safety. Matt what are your recommendations? Would you wait around for someone to hold your hand.
Interesting how people birch about Nanny government but what government to hold their hand.
Guess you don’t remember the last time the ndp were in power… Police raiding the premiers home and offices, slow cat ferries, wars in the woods, etc. people have short memories. The liberals are not much better, It seems that whoever is in power ends up being a punching bag for the armchair politicians
I think that Canadians need to wake up and smell the flowers.
Does anyone really think we are ready for a major catastrophe??? In the whole of Canada we have about 60,000 military personel. In addition in the greater Vancouver area, we probably have not more than a few thousand police. Perhaps a few reserve military, and thats about it.
We need a system that warns people immediatley that something is happening, and we need to know where to go and how to get there.
Most radio stations, and some local TV stations do not have anyone working at nite, so all you get is taped music. We need a system of sirens, and the ability to cut in on major TV channels to get the message out.
Smaller communities are better equipped to handle these types of problems, however big cities in the lower mainland had better get a system in place, or they are in for some serious problems. How well are we equipped to handle a disaster after it happens???? We should be able to get some hints from the recent disaster in the Eastern USA.
So it seems that Bond can **talk the talk**, however the question is can she **walk the walk**.
She admitted no wrong doing. The word wrong isn’t even anywhere in that PR release. I’ve done PR, I know how wordsmithing works. She makes valid points about self preservation. We aren’t helpless children of Mother Nature, eh ;)
This discussion is as silly as building an expensive home a few meters from any river in BC and then being shocked and amazed when a flood wipes out the shack… and then wanting the public purse to provide compensation !!! What a crock of horse manure !!!
Take responsibility for your own safety. Give your head a slap and think ahead a little more than wondering what you are going to have to drink at lunchtime.
At the very least, ask or figure out what you should do in the event of a fire, earthquake, flood or some other boo boo, what you should have at your fingertips and where you should go…. and then put your own plan into action. Make sure you have a plan ‘B’ as well.
Why would anyone with even a single digit IQ not get the message when the house is shaking or the bed is crab legging its way across the bedroom floor.
Geeeee… lets wait for the “media” or the “govt” to tell us what is happening.
WTF people !!!
Get your head out from under the pillow and get yourself and your family to safety.
We do NOT need a better “warning system”. We need people to take ownership of their own reality instead of this unbelieveable sense of entitlement !!!!!
V.
When people panic they need direction, we all need to pull together to do what’s best. We DO look to government officials to help us in times of need. Of course we aren’t invalids and should prepare and protect ourselves, agreed. But getting angry with people who don’t know what to do in a scary situation when emotions and fear take over is just mean. Better to have leaders to help us think together… Oh wait, governments aren’t supposed to do that?
“We need a system that warns people immediatley that something is happening”
Obvioulsy an implant in every citizen’s ear linked to a satellite transponder would work well at notifying everyone no matter where they are.
Suddenly we were told to get information on the earthquake from the USA, not BC I thought we paid our taxes to BC and Canada.
If you live say 300 miles away from the quake and a tsunami is heading your way and you didnât feel the shake, who is going to tell you that you should head for high ground.
You people talk like people should look after themselves when the quake hits, they do, but how in the world are they suppose to know that a giant wave is heading their way and they didnât feel the shake unless they can read tea leaves.
Think about it Province, did you get it right, the answer is no.
In this case we were stupid once, letâs not to let it happen again
Mother Nature will tell us when and where disasters will happen. Governments everywhere don’t have any effect on that.
gus: “We need a system that warns people immediatley that something is happening”
Obvioulsy an implant in every citizen’s ear linked to a satellite transponder would work well at notifying everyone no matter where they are.”
Bang on gus. How exactly is the government supposed to let everyone know what is happening? TV? Radio? Personal visit or phone call? If they put the information out and the people don’t receive it, whose fault is that?
We don`t have to be to concerned about greater Vancouver because most of it will be reclaimed.A good part of Van is built on a delta.
If we aren’t paying for an emergency notification program, I’m okay with that. If we are paying for it, we should be notified, by said system, of a BC incident as quick or quicker than our neighboring country sends out an alert.
Tax dollars at work?
I have met youngsters who tell me we should become the 51st US state. How many in BC support it?
51st US state?
Not bloody likely.
metalman.
Lets just become part of Texas and buy more guns. I wonder if they would let us join them?
“Suddenly we were told to get information on the earthquake from the USA”
There is nothing sudden about it at all. That has been the way since the USA first set up the West Coast/Alaska monitoring centre. It also has the pacific monitoring centre in Hawaii. They are centres with international responsibilities. Earthquakes know no man made boundaries. Neither do Tsunamis.
As far as BC/Canada goes, just as it is a USA federal agency which monitors earthquakes, weather, etc for potential safety issues, those are actually Canada’s responsibility in the first place, not provincial. Nobody seems to be pointing fingers in that direction if someone is interested in Canadians participating more in such monitoring.
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov
For those who might be interested in the bulletins which were sent out to those in the USA and Canada who are on the list of recipients, here they are. Tofino and other emergency centres would have received them. Maybe the real question is not how many radio stations were running on recorded programming at that time of the weekend. Perhaps we should ask where are the emergency centres and which ones were being monitored and received these messages.
I noticed that only one station in Canada recorded a rise in the water level. The question I have is that the only station we have?
MESSAGE #1 – Oct 27, 2012 8:07pm PDT
…A TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE NORTH TIP OF VANCOUVER ISLAND BRITISH COLUMBIA TO CAPE DECISION ALASKA/LOCATED 85 MILES SE OF SITKA/…
AT 804 PM PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME ON OCTOBER 27 AN EARTHQUAKE WITH PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE 7.1 OCCURRED 25 MILES/40 KM SOUTH OF SANDSPIT BRITISH COLUMBIA.
EARTHQUAKES OF THIS SIZE ARE KNOWN TO GENERATE TSUNAMIS. IF A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED THE WAVES WILL FIRST REACH LANGARA ISLAND BRITISH COLUMBIA AT 916 PM PDT ON OCTOBER 27. ESTIMATED TSUNAMI ARRIVAL TIMES AND MAPS ALONG WITH SAFETY RULES
AND OTHER INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEB SITE WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV.
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/5/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #2 – Oct 27, 2012 8:34pm PST
THE MAGNITUDE IS UPDATED TO 7.7. THE WARNING ZONE REMAINS THE SAME.
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/2/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #3 – Oct 27, 2012 9:10pm PST
A SMALL TSUNAMI HAS BEEN RECORDED ON A DEEP OCEAN PRESSURE SENSOR. THE WARNING REGION REMAINS THE SAME IN THIS BULLETIN.
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/3/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #4 – Oct 27, 2012 9:48pm PST
THE TSUNAMI HAS BEEN RECORDED WITH SMALL AMPLITUDES IN SE ALASKA. FORECASTS INDICATE HEIGHTS IN S CENTRAL ALASKA BELOW 30CM. THE WARNING AREA REMAINS THE SAME.
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI ACTIVITY
LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL
———————— —– —— ——- ———–
DART46419PT NW SEATTLE 48.8N 129.6W 0345UTC 00.2FT/00.07M
CRAIG AK 55.5N 133.1W 0425UTC 00.3FT/00.09M
PORT ALEXANDER AK 56.2N 134.6W 0410UTC 00.3FT/00.08M
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/4/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #5 – Oct 27, 2012 10:02pm PST
THE WARNING ZONES REMAIN THE SAME IN THIS MESSAGE. AN ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE REST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA-SOUTH OF THE NORTH TIP OF VANCOUVER ISLAND.
…A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM THE WASHINGTON-BRITISH COLUMBIA BORDER TO THE NORTH TIP OF VANCOUVER ISLAND BRITISH COLUMBIA…
MEASUREMENTS OR REPORTS OF TSUNAMI ACTIVITY
LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL
———————— —– —— ——- ———–
DART46419PT NW SEATTLE 48.8N 129.6W 0345UTC 00.2FT/00.07M
CRAIG AK 55.5N 133.1W 0425UTC 00.3FT/00.09M
PORT ALEXANDER AK 56.2N 134.6W 0410UTC 00.3FT/00.08M
WINTER HARBOUR BC 50.7N 128.3W 0402UTC 00.5FT/00.15M
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/5/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #1 – Oct 27, 2012 8:07pm PDT
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/5/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #2 – Oct 27, 2012 8:34pm PST
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/2/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #3 – Oct 27, 2012 9:10pm PST
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/3/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #4 – Oct 27, 2012 9:48pm PST
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/4/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
MESSAGE #5 – Oct 27, 2012 10:02pm PST
http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/events/PAAQ/2012/10/28/mcl1uw/5/WEPA41/WEPA41.txt
These were the only tsunami level recordings for Canada (0400 UTC = 9pm PDT)
WINTER HARBOUR BC 0400UTC 00.5FT/00.16M
WINTER HARBOUR BC 0746UTC 00.8FT/00.24M
These were the highest recordings for the West Coast
CRESCENT CITY CA 0914UTC 01.5FT/00.46M
ARENA COVE CA 0637UTC 01.3FT/00.41M
These were the highest recording in Hawaii for the last report from the Alaska monitoring centre. The one in Hawaii may have additional reports.
KAHULUI MAUI HI 0900UTC 02.5FT/00.76M
KAWAIHAE HI 0931UTC 01.9FT/00.56M
Port Angeles was “hit” with a 0.4 foot tsunami.
Here is their tsunami pamphlet which has the tsunami hazard areas identified, as well as evacuation routes and assembly facilities. Port Angeles is less than 20 nautical miles across the strait from Victoria.
Does anyone know:
â¢Was a similar rise in water level measured at Victoria? The again, maybe they do not have that facility.
â¢Does Victoria and are have a similar tsunami publication?
http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_tsunami_evac_port_angeles.pdf
Posted by bonneville “Guess you don’t remember the last time the ndp were in power… Police raiding the premiers home and offices, slow cat ferries, wars in the woods, etc. people have short memories.”
I’m guessing you have a short memory as well and your is even shorter or don’t you remember the BCR scandal.
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