Threats of the “big one” are always looming in B.C., and a Richmond parent is calling for emergency preparedness and emergency supplies to be put in schools in case of an earthquake.
Karina Reid is scheduled to speak at Wednesday’s school board meeting, bringing forward a request for a three-phase emergency response package to be implemented in schools. In a letter to Richmond’s Board of Education, Reid said that some Richmond parent advisory committees are fundraising for supplies, while others have not prioritized this area of need.
“The current fundraising for emergency supplies is not working and must change,” says Reid’s letter to the board. “Parents should not be asked to take on the financial burden of acquiring all the supplies for their school.”
Reid’s letter also notes that Richmond is a high-risk area in the event of an earthquake due to the type of soil the city has and because it’s an island.
As part of its three-phase plan, parents are requesting that the school board fund a one-time procurement of emergency equipment for Richmond schools. This includes emergency backpacks for classrooms, which would carry supplies to care for students if they were trapped in a classroom and a crisis response box for school administrators when they are assessing the risk of a disaster. Phase two would include basic emergency supplies and reunification supplies. The third phase would require emergency supplies such as first aid, food, shelter and hygiene items as well as a container that could store all of these supplies.
“Emergency preparedness is everyone's responsibility,” Reid’s letter says. “Parents are not asked to pay for the school's fire extinguishers, nor should they be asked to pay for the school emergency supplies.”
