WHEREAS in the event of a major disaster, in particular a Cascadia Subduction Zone CSZ event i.e., an earthquake with a magnitude 8 or greater followed by a subsequent tsunami within BCs southwest seismic activity zone, the system of mass causality medical emergency preparedness in the province of BC is ineffective for high risk remote communities that do not have Vancouver Island Health Authority VIHA hospitals and clinics; AND WHEREAS fast and wide reaching mass causality medical strategies are necessary to save lives for communities that will potentially have no access to medical centres andor hospitals due to catastrophic damage; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities urge the provincial and federal governments to establish a world-class Mass Causality Medical Emergency Preparedness Plan for high risk communities in BCs seismic activity zone that do not have hospitals or clinics.
Ministry of Health In British Columbia, the health authorities and the BC Ambulance Service BCAS are responsible for the delivery of emergency health services and have robust plans for mass casualty emergencies regardless of where they may happen within the province. For remote communities that do not have hospitals or clinics, the health authorities work very closely with BCAS to facilitate urgent transport of casualties to the nearest and most appropriate health care facilities in the event that a mass casualty incident occurs. Many remote communities that do not have clinics or hospitals will have a BCAS station that, in conjunction with local municipal emergency response services, can initiate the mass casualty plans with the local emergency supplies held at the BCAS station to begin care while additional emergency response resources are vectored in by land, air andor sea as appropriate to manage the event. In known and planned events where the potential for a mass casualty incident is increased, such as concerts and major sporting events, steps are taken to ensure that the appropriate resources and personnel are prepositioned to provide effective medical response should something tragic happen. In the event of a major disaster, such as a magnitude 8 Cascadia Subduction Zone CSZ earthquake and subsequent tsunami, that causes catastrophic damage to coastal and inland communities resulting in a mass casualty situation, it is important to note that the impact will likely extend to all communities in the region regardless of size and will seriously limit accessibility due to infrastructure and road damage. While efforts are ongoing to make the health systems critical infrastructure and operations resilient to seismic events, it is recognized that a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami will likely damage and overwhelm the capability of the local health resources in the region to operate and respond effectively in the early stages of the disaster. To ensure an effective and coordinated health response to a catastrophic disaster like a CSZ earthquake, the health system and the Ministry of Health have plans and agreements in place that will facilitate shifting of internal health resources and personnel from unaffected areas within the province to respond to the affected areas. In addition, the Province has entered into mutual aid agreements with neighbouring provinces, states, and non-governmental organizations to send emergency health resources and personnel quickly to augment the provincial response. The BC health system plans are aligned and integrated with Emergency Management BCs EMBC ongoing catastrophic disaster planning as well as with federal planning for a national response to a significant CSZ event. The BC health system is seen as a leader nationally in this area of preparedness and response. Regardless of the community size, it is important for local governments to encourage their citizens to personally prepare their families to survive for a minimum of 72 hours or more without help. Earthquake preparedness information can be found on EMBCs website: http:embc.gov.bc.caemhazardpreparednessearthquakepreparedness.html
Minister of Health In emergencies, Canada uses the principle of escalating jurisdictional response to guide the federal governments role in emergency preparedness and response, which involves a range of departments. This principle means that the emergency response starts at the local level with requests for assistance from the provincial and then from the federal level, as a jurisdictions capacity to respond is exceeded. From the perspective of the federal Health Portfolio, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada develop, test and administer various programs and plans that can support the provinces and territories in responding to emergencies, including mass casualty events. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and the Province of British Columbia may wish to consider the following federal roles and activities in its planning: - The Health Portfolio follows an all-hazards plan that articulates the federal role in mass casualty events and is working with the provinces and territories to develop a Pan-Canadian Health Emergency Response Protocol, which aims to facilitate federal, provincial and territorial notification, sharing of information, communication, planning and decision-making between and among multiple jurisdictions during any type of emergency, including a mass casualty event. - The Agency coordinates and responds to provincial and territorial requests for personnel, including health professionals and epidemiologists, in response to a variety of health emergencies in a timely manner. The Agency has mobilized staff to provide support in 10 different jurisdictions in the past four years. - The National Emergency Strategic Stockpile NESS is maintained by the Agency as surge capacity to assist the provinces and territories to respond to a variety of emergencies with health impacts, including influenza pandemics, terrorism events and natural disasters. The NESS holdings include medical mini-clinics for triage and treatment, as well a supply of chemical, biological and radio-nuclear medical countermeasures for use in the event of an unexpected public health emergency. - To support and strengthen overall local and regional emergency response capabilities and resilience, the Agency supports projects that aim to build healthcare worker and responder capacity through the development and delivery of training programs and practical simulations, as well as the development of tools and response guidelines related to mass casualty incident response. In addition, the Agencys e-learning portal, available at https:training-formation.phac-aspc.gc.ca, provides on-line health emergency management courses that enable healthcare professionals, hospital staff and the Canadian public to better prepare themselves and their communities for potential emergency events. These courses address topics such as behavioral health issues during events, as well as the role of emergency health and social services in response to and recovery from emergencies. Another mechanism that supports federal, provincial and territorial collaboration is the Pan-Canadian Public Health Network Council. The Council is composed of officials from all levels of government, including the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada and senior government officials from all jurisdictions responsible for public health. Public health issues, including emergency preparedness and response concerns, can be raised through provincial representatives for further discussion, awareness and development of public health strategies. For example, the Operational Framework for Mutual Aid Requests OFMAR was formally endorsed by federal, provincial and territorial stakeholders in 2013, as an approach to facilitate inter-provincial and territorial stakeholders in 2013, as an approach to facilitate inter-provincial and territorial requests for surge support of health personnel from another jurisdiction. The framework was developed to implement the federal provincial and territorial Memorandum of Understanding on the Provision of Mutual Aid in Relation to Health Resources during an Emergency Affecting the Health of the Public http:www.phn-rsp.capubsmou-ma-pe-amindex-eng.php. The framework provides the mechanism to warn of potential requests, protocols for requesting and offering health personnel resources as well as documents to help rapidly address legal, licensing and insurance issues. For example, the OFMAR protocols were successfully activated in 2013 and enabled the request and receipt of health surge resources to support the emergency response to the spring flooding in Calgary.