The City of Richmond is reviewing its emergency preparedness and management programs in the wake of a report last month by B.C.'s Auditor General claiming the province is illprepared for a major earthquake. In the event of a major catastrophe, all three levels of government are expected to provide assistance to residents. Emergency preparedness on a provincial level is managed by Emergency Management BC (EMBC).
The Auditor General's report concluded EMBC has not made significant progress on earthquake preparedness since 1997, back when a similar conclusion was reached about preparedness.
"Successive governments have decided to allocate scarce public resources to meet more immediate pressing demands, rather than to adequately prepare the province for a catastrophic earthquake that may or may not occur," wrote Auditor General Russ Jones.
EMBC's budget has not increased since 2006 and staff have routinely ignored earthquake preparedness, noted Jones.
He also reported EMBC does not adequately review emergency plans by municipalities. One of his many recommendations is to ensure effective communication between the emergency response efforts of different levels of government.
The stakes are high, since in the event of a major earthquake coordination between the city, the province and potentially the military could become a major issue without a solid plan for communicating.
Arguably, the importance of effective communication was no more pronounced than during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in New Orleans. Then, local, state and federal authorities failed to work together in the aftermath, which led to public chaos and unnecessary deaths.
According to a recent report to the city's community safety committee the city does not report to EMBC on its readiness but "enjoys a good reputation with them."
In 2008, in its most recent analysis of hazards, the city identified several vulnerabilities in Richmond including an aircraft accident, dangerous goods spill, earthquake, flooding, pandemic and chemical, biological, or radiological explosion.
Under law, municipalities must have emergency plans that deal with preparation, response and recovery from emergencies like earthquakes.
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