The coming Big Earthquake - a crucial reason we need amalgamation now.

Right now we have a host of local government emergency services in this region that are not coordinated.. I have no doubt that all the people involved are doing their best but they seem to be all be constrained by the boxes created in their minds by the existence of our arbitrary municipal boundaries.   We have a structure in place that is not the best we can do.

When the large earthquake happens people's lives will be at stake and the lack of a well thought out single plan for our region means we will see more people die than we need to.   There is an easy solution that will offer us better and more effective emergency services in the event of an earthquake - amalgamation.

I defy anyone to say that the following list is the best way to prepare for a major disaster in this region:

• Victoria Police
• Victoria Fire Department - Emergency Management
• Esquimalt Fire Department - Esquimalt Emergency Program
• Saanich Police
• Saanich Fire Department - Saanich Emergency Program - Saanich Search and Rescue
• Oak Bay Police
• Oak Bay Fire Department - Oak Bay Emergency Program
• Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization which includes the following:

1. Central Saanich Police
2. Central Saanich Fire Department
3. Peninsula RCMP Detachment
4. North Saanich Fire Department
5. Sidney Fire Department
6. Peninsula Disaster Response/Search and Rescue Team

• Westshore RCMP Detachment
• View Royal Fire Department - View Royal Emergency Program - they plan on operating their one Emergency Operations Centre
• Colwood Fire Department - Colwood Emergency Planning Committee - I do not see anything on their site linking to any other local government
• Langford Fire Department
• Metchosin Fire Department - Metchosin Emergency Program
• Highlands Fire Department - Highlands Emergency Program - The will have their own Emergency Operations Centre 
• Sooke RCMP Detachment
• Sooke Fire Department - Sooke Emergency Planning
• CRD operated 9-11
• CRD Hazmat response 
• Juan de Fuca Search and Rescue - Juan de Fuca Fire Departments - Juan de Fuca Emergency Program
• Local Government Emergency Program Advisory Commission
• Regional Emergency Coordinators Advisory Commission

In looking through all the sites I find very little sense that in the event of a major disaster there will be any sort of effective coordination of the responses.   I see numerous different emergency programs with wildly differing capabilities.    Other than PEMO on the peninsular, for each of these emergency programs I see more or less nothing that would indicate that neighbouring municipalities are considered in their plans.

Only one municipality has included emergency preparedness in their official community plan even though we know a building damaging earthquake in this region in the next 50 years is a one in three chance.

Not only are we not prepared for a region wide disaster, we have structure in place that will not be nearly as effective as it should be.  The status quo can not be as effective as properly coordinated and centrally operated emergency services.   To continue with what we have now puts the lives of people in this region at risk.

 Note the comments at 2:20 in this report