Earthquake Response Plan for British Columbia (ERPBC)

The objective of the Earthquake Response Plan for British Columbia (ERPBC) (currently under review) is to coordinate Alberta’s provincial assistance to British Columbia in order that the Government of British Columbia can begin self-recovery.  The plan will work in concert with the National Earthquake Support Plan (NESP) and the British Columbia Earthquake Response Plan.

Following a catastrophic earthquake, the province of British Columbia will activate their Provincial Emergency Coordination Centre.   Concurrently, a British Columbia Provincial Emergency Response Centre (PREOC) will be established by the province near the damage area(s) to manage emergency operations. BC Provincial agencies will be under the control of Emergency Management British Columbia while the federal coordination of resources will be done by Public Safety Canada.

At the national level, the federal government will activate the National Earthquake Support Plan (NESP) and the Government Operation Centre (GOC) in Ottawa to co-ordinate support from the federal government and other areas of Canada together with international arrangements in response to a catastrophic earthquake. Under the current plan, the Department of National Defence (DND) will activate the Logistic Operations Management System (LOMS) to handle resources that are not directly dispatched to B.C.  LOMS will prove critical to Alberta to move resources at the right quantity and time with the correct transportation resources to the disaster area.

In Alberta, AEMA will activate the Government Emergency Operation Centre (GEOC). The GEOC will coordinate Alberta’s response to an earthquake in British Columbia.  If required Alberta will dispatch a liaison team to BC to co-ordinate and facilitate arrangements between the GEOC and the provincial and federal authorities in B.C.