Initially, an emergency is managed locally through your municipality or regional district. Should a situation escalate beyond local resource capability and capacity, the Provincial Emergency Program is requested to support the response effort. If the event is not a responsibility of the local jurisdiction, the Province will coordinate the appropriate agency for the response required.
Should it be recommended that the public be displaced/evacuated from their residence due to an emergency, the Emergency Support Services (ESS) program is activated. After an emergency event, the ESS program is intended to support persons for up to 72 hours where insurance policies fall short in providing the basic essentials of life; shelter, clothing, food and some incidentals.
Recovery and Financial Assistance
When a disaster has a significant impact on a community, the province may declare the disaster eligible for Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA). Those impacted by such a disaster may apply to the province for DFA where the losses could not be insured or where other programs are not available. The Disaster Financial Assistance helps to replace or restore essential items and property that have been destroyed or damaged to pre-disaster condition.
Assistance is available to qualifying homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, farm owners, and charitable organizations. Financial assistance is provided for each accepted claim at 80 percent of the amount of total eligible damage that exceeds $1,000, to a maximum claim of $300,000.
Province of BC: Disaster Financial Assistance Forms and Information
| Regional District of North Okanagan Emergency Operation Center | 250-550-3299 |
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BC Emergency Support Services (ESS) BC Hydro | 1-800-585-9559 1-800-224-9376 or #49376 | ||
| Fortis BC | 1-800-663-9911 | Natural gas emergency | |
| Help Line | 2-1-1 | Connect to the right information or services | |
| Health Links | 8-1-1 or 7-1-1 (TTY) | To speak with a health service navigator | |
| RCMP, Non-Emergency, Armstrong | 250-546-3028 | ||
| RCMP, Non-Emergency, Enderby | 250-838-6818 | ||
| RCMP, Non-Emergency, Lumby | 250-547-2151 | ||
| RCMP, Non-Emergency, Vernon | 250-545-7171 | ||
| VictimLinkBC | 1-800-563-0808 | Confidential support and information for victims of crime | |
| Youth Against Violence | 1-800-680-4264 | For young people to report crime or violent incident |
Know your Hazards
No one is equipped to handle all demands of an emergency when it happens but knowing what to do when an emergency strikes can help control the situation and expedite the recovery.