Summerland wildfire evacuee calls for overhaul of B.C. emergency alert and support systems

The Bald Range wildfire that broke out Friday, August 7, west of Summerland exposed gaps in British Columbia's emergency alert system and evacuee support infrastructure, according to a retired 911 dispatcher who fled the fire.

Dawne Young said that when the fire broke out, not everyone in her family received the emergency alert — some standing directly beside each other got it while others did not. Once she evacuated, she attempted to register as an evacuee online but encountered obstacles. The app told her she would only be verified Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After being verified the next day, she was directed to proceed to a reception centre — defeating the purpose of registering online, she said. Subsequent phone calls and conflicting information left her frustrated and stressed. "When people are fleeing, they need help right away — not 12 hours later," Young said.

Young emphasized she does not blame the volunteers running emergency support services. Instead, she believes the province needs to invest significantly more in emergency management infrastructure. "I just think that we have had enough big fires in the Okanagan. It is not going to get any better with climate change — the way things are, this is our way of life now," she said. "People need to be prepared and the government needs to be prepared."

Premier David Eby, during a visit to Penticton, acknowledged the emergency support services system has improved from previous years but admitted it still has faults. His government committed to an after-action review of how emergency support services handled the fire's aftermath. The review will include a pool of experts with expertise in wildfires and local government. "We are going to take the lessons learned from this fire and apply them and make sure it's better," Eby said.

UBC researcher Kathryn McConnell said alert delivery problems are not uncommon in wildfire situations. Communication systems can become overloaded, preventing text alerts from reaching residents. Wildfires often start in rural and remote areas where cell coverage is spotty or non-existent. Electricity outages during fires can also prevent people from accessing television or landline alerts. McConnell recommended the province explore analog alert sirens as an alternative — systems already used in countries like France for fire and flood warnings.