Emergency management
For current information about emergencies in the Regional District of Central Okanagan visit the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations website.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan has a regional emergency plan in place that is coordinated by the City of Kelowna Fire Department on behalf of the RDCO, City of Kelowna, City of West Kelowna, District of Lake Country, District of Peachland and Westbank First Nation. The plan makes provisions for the community in the event of any emergency such as flooding, wildfires, windstorms or other catastrophes that see people evacuated from their homes. This emergency management organization serves the region and supports our partners when it is needed most, including emergency plans and other preparedness, response and recovery measures for emergencies and disasters.
Emergency Operations Centre
The Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is activated during a major emergency, at the request of the incident commander and exists to support efforts at the site of the emergency (e.g. wildfire, flood, airplane crash or other catastrophes).
The EOC can be activated for one of three reasons:
- To support responders when an event has exceeded, or has the potential to exceed, the capacity of first responders.
- At the request of first responders to provide logistical or situational awareness support.
- To take on roles such as public information or requests for assistance to allow responders to focus on the event.
The EOC runs cordemergency.ca which is the primary source for official information to the public and the media. When the EOC is activated, updates will be posted as they become available.
Emergency support services
Emergency support services (ESS) is a group of local volunteers that assist the community during emergency events. Through planning, training, mentorship and practice, our dedicated and compassionate ESS volunteers are ready to be deployed to provide short-term essential needs to residents impacted in an emergency.
Learn more about Emergency support services.
Central Okanagan Search and Rescue
Since 1954, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) has been providing Kelowna and the surrounding area with a team of highly trained volunteers committed to helping those that need assistance in both the backcountry and urban environments. The team’s training covers technical skills such as advanced first aid, high angle rope rescue, wilderness and urban ground search, helicopter rescue, and swift water rescue and support the RDCO Emergency Program. Learn more about COSAR.
Amateur radio operators
We have group of amateur radio operators that also volunteer to help at our EOC during emergency situations.
Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team
The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT) is dedicated to animal welfare through the preparation for and the actual evacuation, rescue and shelter of domestic animals and livestock in an emergency. Volunteers are mobilized when local and/or provincial authorities request ALERT’s expertise. Find out more about ALERT.
Evacuation planning
With a grant of almost $25,000 from the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, the RDCO and its local government partners created a Central Okanagan Evacuation Planning Framework to improve evacuation route planning for high-risk communities, such as those with one way in and one way out in order to increase overall safety and well-being of residents in an emergency.
The objectives include:
- Identification of high priority areas based on analysis of local hazards.
- Provide hazard and access challenge data for the Emergency Operation Centre.
- Provide a consistent approach to enhance evacuation planning for all Central Okanagan local governments.
As emergency planning is a dynamic process, this framework and subsequent plans will be regularly reviewed and adapted as the region evolves.
View the Central Okanagan Evacuation Planning Framework.
Disaster recovery and financial assistance
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