By Erin Knutson

As part of the East Kootenay Emergency Support Services Capacity Building (EKESSCB) project, Deputy Fire Chief Scott Robinson recently highlighted the importance of having proper support during a crisis while suggesting that City of Fernie mayor and council partner with the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) to support a grant that will ensure access to supplies in case of emergency.

“In the past, we have been guilty of being unable to access supplies,” said Robinson.

The money would go toward installing a heated 40-foot SeaCan to store supplies for emergency services in Fernie.

Robinson recommended that council support the RDEK in a joint application for funding to increase the efficacy of emergency preparedness in East Kootenay.

As a regional application, five municipalities in the RDEK have been asked to support this $30,000 application for a total of $150,000 from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

“The application has been extended to Cranbrook and the Columbia Valley, in which case we could access their supplies if needed,” said Robinson.

By applying to the UBCM for the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF) grant for Emergency Support Services (ESS), which would fund the EKESSCB project, the community and surrounding areas would be in a better position to handle a crisis, according to Robinson.

“Supporting the RDEK for this grant would mean that Fernie will not handle the financial burden – it will come at no cost,” he said.

Fernie staff rolled out the motion and Mayor Nic Milligan and council unanimously accepted it, aligning Fernie with the RDEK’s emergency preparedness goals.

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