Last month the Cortes Emergency Planning Committee met for its quarterly meeting at Manson’s firehall. Representatives from Family Services, the Cortes Island Fire Department, Cortes Island Emergency Support Services, Cortes Island Community Radio, the Strathcona Regional District, RCMP, BCEHS were in attendance. One decision made at this meeting was to promote awareness of this committee amongst Cortes Island. We decided that a brief summary of our meetings will be posted on Tidelines. Some of the key topics discussed at our last meeting were:

• ESS is expanding its outreach with community groups and tourism industries.

• Cortes Community Radio signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Strathcona Regional District to broadcast public information on behalf of the SRD’s Emergency Operations Centre.

• Planning our next inter-agency tabletop exercise, which will likely be in February.

• Hosting the “Second Annual Cortes Island Chili Cook Off and Emergency Preparedness Fair” during late-September / early-October 2018.

• Establishing digital radio communications at Manson’s firehall and CKTZ in order to enhance communication ability with the SRD’s Emergency Operation Centre. Manson’s firehall is Cortes Island’s designated Emergency Operations Centre.

If your organization would like to participate in this committee please reach out to Shaun Koopman at skoopmansrd.ca