Are you prepared to look after yourself, your family and your pets for 72 hours in the case of an emergency?
Emergency Social Services (ESS) provides short-term assistance to British Columbians who are forced to leave their homes because of fire, floods, earthquakes or other emergencies, and has a team in the South Cariboo.
100 Mile House and District ESS director Liz Jones says volunteers are always needed to cover all the bases for potential small- or large-scale emergencies and disasters.
"We deal with anything from Level 1 responses, as in single house fires and small apartment fire evacuations, to large-scale events, such as [wild] fires and floods. I always say, 'we are the people you don’t want to see, but are glad we are there when you need us'."
The assistance ESS provides may include food, lodging, clothing, emotional support and family reunification services (together with the Canadian Red Cross).
Some of the local ESS members had their first emergency response experiences with the wildfires of 2003, she explains, and then formed an ESS team in 100 Mile House two years ago.
Its 56 current members include volunteers from all over the South Cariboo, with a variety of ESS training and or experience.
There are many positions in an emergency reception centre, set up by ESS members to shelter and organize emergency relief efforts, that do not require working directly with the evacuees, Jones says.
"We are always looking for new members to join our wonderful team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers."
With other responsibilities, such as jobs and families, she notes an average of only 10 per cent of ESS team members are available to respond at any given time.
This year's upcoming training sessions are scheduled for April 2, May 7, June 4, Sept. 10, Oct. 1, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3. All of them are held at 7 p.m. at the Fire Training Centre off Exeter Station Road (unless members are notified of changes).
The local ESS is funded by the Cariboo Regional District and the District of 100 Mile House, Jones says, adding it includes related training, and any travel costs, such as for occasional workshops in Williams Lake.
For more information about becoming an ESS volunteer, leave a message for Jones at 250-395-2152 (100 Mile House Fire-Rescue) or e-mail her at rlavalon@telus.net.