Emergency Preparedness Information Session Recap

Based on your feedback at our Annual Member Meeting last year, Safety and Emergency Preparedness topped the list of areas of interest. In response, the BICA Board organized an information session on Emergency Preparedness July 25^th, presented by North Shore Search & Rescue. We have created a new main menu category on Emergency Preparedness. Below is a brief summary of the information presented for those of you who were unable to attend and for everyone’s reference. Please see our new page on Emergency Preparedness for more details and resources.

1. Communication is essential. It is great to have cell phone service to dial 911 but you should also plan on the event, “what if cell service is not available in my location”.
   • The most reliable option is to have a satellite messenger or emergency personal locater beacon (EPIRB/PLB) with you.
   • For more information on types of satellite and PLB options here are some reference articles:
     • https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-beacons.html
     • https://cbr-rcb.ca/cbr/presentation/other_autre/faq.php

2. Know your location.
   • When talking or messaging to emergency services it is essential to give your exact location.Each camp should know their GPS coordinates. Also, every camp should download the “What3Words” app and give those 3 words for the camp location to emergency services. 
   • For more information on the What3Words app and how to use it, you can go to their site: https://what3words.com/how-to

3. Be skilled in First Aid.
   • In case of emergency, you are your biggest help! Even when emergency services are activated, it can take extended time for them to arrive to our remote locations.
   • Everyone should take a first aid course and ensure you have a robust first aid kit at your camp. 
   • Resources in Canada and US for finding First Aid courses are below:
     • US Red Cross 
     • Canada Red Cross
     • St. John Ambulance

4. Have a plan and be prepared.
   • When boating or hiking be prepared before you go. A great resource is https://www.adventuresmart.ca/.

For more details on each of the categories above and how to best be prepared for an emergency, visit our new Emergency Preparedness page.

We also invite you to attend our Annual Member Meeting on August 5th during which we will have more brainstorming and discussion on the next level of emergency preparedness and safety for our BICA Community.