Wildfire Training

By Cheryl Jahn

Getting Prepared

Prince George prepares for a possible evacuation

May 17, 2019 | 4:23 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The CN Centre looked a bit like a war room, with a 900 square foot map at ice level and 80 participants from a dozen organizations on hand. They were hashing out a scenario: It is July 20th. Prince George has been basking in 30 degree weather for two weeks with no rain. At 9 a.m., a storm rolls in and lightning strikes in Beaverly, causing a wildfire. Through the course of the day, it progresses northeast. By 6 p.m., it threatens College Heights, which now must be evacuated. While it is a table top exercise, a recent 177-page report to Council in December outlined that as one of the most likely scenarios in reality. This is the third, and largest, exercise to date. And it is the last.

“This is our concluding table top exercise. We call it a rehearsal concept drill, which is where we blow up the City’s evacuation map to 900 square feet and we’re taken model fire trucks and we walk-through, talk-through the entire scenario,” explains Adam Davey, the Manager of Emergency Services for the City.

This is the first time Brad Blackwell with the BC Wildfire Services has participated in a training exerciser of this magnitude and it’s welcome.

“We’ve worked with different agencies over the past few years, such as the City of Prince George, the Regional District and some volunteer fire departments, even with the RCMP and Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,” he says. “But to meet face to face really is invaluable in planning out exercises such as this one.”

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He is hopeful the City can pass on some of the wisdom gained here with other municipalities and agencies.