WHEREAS Emergency Management BC is initiating a major policy review in 2011 and their current policy regarding road rescue services is to provide a provincial task number for road rescue responses outside of a municipal boundary, but not within a municipal boundary; AND WHEREAS there are some municipalities in BC with very large rural boundaries that contain resource or similar roads that are wilderness and remote in nature, yet are accessed by tourists and others, increasing the frequency of motor vehicle accidents requiring a municipal response: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the Province of BC Emergency Management BC to develop policy exceptions that provide a provincial task number to a municipality responding to a road rescue in a wilderness or remote area within a municipal boundary.
Ministry of Public Safety Solicitor General There are approximately 50,000 motor vehicle accidents in British Columbia each year. Emergency Management BC EMBC is involved in roughly 2,500 of these by providing task assistance cost reimbursement, WCB and liability coverage to road rescue organizations fire departments responding outside fire response boundaries, road rescue societies and search and rescue teams. Auto extrication extraction is a highly specialized skill that requires ongoing training and expensive, specific equipment and tools. It is the choice of the municipal government with the establishment of a by-law to allow their fire department to respond outside of their jurisdiction. EMBC policy does not allow for a provincial task number within a District boundary as this would create an inconsistent approach to other Districts which may encompass wilderness or remote areas within their municipal boundaries.