Emergency Management SSI

Newsletter

Fall 2026

Please forward to your Neighbours

In this Edition:
Pod Gathering - ShakeOut - Fall Fair - Evacuations - New EOC - Livestock Evacuations -Communications Updates - Deputy Posting - FireSmart - Dashboard and Alertable

What a Pod Gathering!

Our focus on Evacuation generated a welcome number of participants at the new fire hall on September 26th —and, judging from the lively group discussions, many arrived having already done their homework.

Thank you for bringing forward the three main concerns from your Pods and, importantly, for leaving those concerns with us to help inform future planning and reinforcement.

Your collective input both identified and confirmed evacuation concerns across Salt Spring Island. This information will be valuable input for the committee currently working on the Island’s Evacuation Plan.

What did you tell us?

Twelve groups reported three concerns each—with one group contributing four! When the responses were pooled, these emerged as the top concerns:

Evacuation Routes — 11

Communication — 10

Evacuation Planning & Preparation — 6

Seniors / Special Needs — 5

Resident Information — 1

Reception Centres — 1

Our Resource Team responded to each concern with excellent suggestions, recommendations and leadership that volunteers could take back to their residents and management will use for planning.

Pod Program Lead Amy M. (R) pictured above.

Register for the ShakeOutBC earthquake drill

Earthquakes are common in B.C., with thousands recorded each year. While most are too small to be felt, damaging earthquakes can occur with little to no warning.

Prepare for earthquakes by registering for and participating in the Great British Columbia ShakeOut drill on Thursday, October 15 at 10:15 AM (PDT).

Doing the drill at the same time as your family, friends and coworkers is an easy and effective way to practice Drop, Cover and Hold On. It’s also a great opportunity to:

Review the Tsunami Portal to understand what areas on SSI are at risk
Share PreparedBC’s Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Guide

Encourage community members to make a home emergency kit and plan

Learn about the Canadian Earthquake Early Warning system

Review the Tsunami Information Portal to understand what areas on SSI are at risk.

A few minutes of practice can help save lives. Join in and encourage others in your pods, organizations and households to take part.

Fall Fair Fun

Thank you, Salt Spring. Even though we did not have a lineup quite like the Pie Ladies, we were so happy so many of you came by our tent to connect, learn and discuss your concerns about emergency preparedness.

The questions came from every corner of the island. Some were about wildfire. Some were about earthquakes and tsunamis. Many were about the simple, practical question: what do I actually need at home?

Our answer: plan for 14 days. After a major earthquake or severe storm, roads, ferries, power and water may be disrupted for a long time. Island living means we need to be ready to look after ourselves and our neighbours until help and supplies arrive. PreparedBC recommends a home kit with supplies for at least two weeks for everyone you live with, and four litres of water per person per day. For one person, that is 56 litres of water.

Our practical tips:

Store what you eat. Add a few extra cans or dry goods to each grocery trip and rotate them into your pantry.
Water adds up quickly. A few 20 litre jugs per person goes a long way. Refresh stored water every six months.
Do not forget the basics. A manual can opener, medications, pet food and a battery or hand crank radio.

We also connected many islanders with their neighbourhood pod. Pods are the backbone of our community resilience: neighbours who know each other, check on each other and share information when it matters most. If you have not joined yours yet, now is the time.

Many of our visitors answered our quiz:
Do you have an Emergency Plan? 73% said YES
Do you know the main risks on SSI? 89% do
Do you have an(y) emergency kit? 74% said YES

Do you know your Pod? 79% said YES

Those are impressive numbers, well done Salt Spring!

Thank you to our booth volunteers - Amy, Chas, Colin, Elizabeth, Nancy, Joselyn and Julie.

And congratulations to Adriana O. the winner of the draw for the emergency food kit! (pictured left)

The Fall Fair has brought this community together since 1896. We were proud to be part of it again this year. See you next September.

EM Deputies Colin M. and Nancy P. pictured above.
Pod Program Lead Amy M. and Churchill Pod Coordinator Joselyn P. pictured middle.

Are You Evacuation Ready?

This summer, the potential for evacuations from wildfires was front of mind for may islanders.

Hazards that could require an evacuation are not limited to wildfire and may also include:

Flooding
Landslides
Tsunamis and earthquakes
HAZMAT incidents
Storms (tree on house, etc.)
Fire – structure

New Emergency Operations Centre (EOC)

Hundreds turned out to celebrate at an opening ceremony for Salt Spring’s new Fire Hall No. 1 on Sunday, September 6, showcasing a major upgrade for emergency services.

After many years of work to make the project a reality, firefighting operations are now housed in a modern facility that meets post disaster standards.

Part of the facility includes capacity for emergency management operations - a dedicated office as well as a emergency communications center (aka radio room). In an EOC activation, there is a boardroom for level two incidents and a large training room that can be used for level three stand-ups.

Perhaps even more importantly, it will help build relationships and enhance collaboration with one of our most important partners. Congratulations Salt Spring Fire Rescue and Salt Spring Island!

Emergency Communications Updates

We pleased to announce that Simon Wheeler has stepped up as the acting SSI Emergency Radio Coordinator (ERC).

We are grateful to have Simon's at the helm with his many years of experience including his professional background as a retired commercial pilot.

Simon is supported by six team members, including two deputies (DERC's) - Brian Wolfe-Milner and Chas Belknap.

This includes outgoing ERC, Leonard McCabe. We are thankful for Leonard's continued service.

Emergency Management Deputy - Join Our Team

Do you want to contribute to your community in a meaningful way?

We are looking for a dynamic, highly motivated individual to help coordinate

emergency mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery initiatives for

Emergency Management Salt Spring Island.

This individual will work collaboratively with the EM Lead and

stakeholders in the Salt Spring Island Electoral Area.

This is a part-time volunteer position with a $6000/year honourarium.

Training and equipment is provided and operational costs are covered.

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For further details, visit:

emergency-management-deputypdf

Please email a resume and cover letter to: ssiepc@crd.bc.ca

Deadline for applications is November 16th at 5:00pm

Learn more about residential FireSmart assessment programs to improve fire safety around your home, as well as and sign up to get FireSmart: SSIFR community outreach programs, including local FireSmart presentations and neighbourhood recognition

Livestock Evacuation

Emergency management for evacuations is a shared responsibility from individuals to all levels of government. Plans for responding to emergencies, including livestock, need to be in place.

Premises Identification (ID) is a way of linking poultry and livestock, including bees, to specific geographic locations. Premises ID information includes contact information to inform planning, and responses to animal disease events or natural disaster emergencies like floods or fires.

If you have a small-scale or hobby farms with a few animals up to a to a large commingling site, please register with the Premises ID Program.