Columbia Valley Pioneer staff
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) encourages more people to sign up for its Evacuation Notification System and is willing to help them do just that.
A registration drive has been launched to increase the number of individuals with access to the system powered by Voyent Alert. This program notifies residents and property owners in case of evacuation orders or alerts during critical events such as wildfires and floods.
“This system is critically important in emergencies,” stresses RDEK communications manager Loree Duczek. “It provides immediate notification when every second counts, and our goal is to have as many residents and visitors as possible registered.
To make this as easy as possible and to provide in-person support, the RDEK is holding a series of registration events in April and May.
The tour will include stops in Canal Flats, Fairmont Hot Springs, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, and the communities of Shuswap and ?aq’am. All residents are welcome to stop by during these scheduled visits to receive assistance signing up for the program. The schedule can be found at www.rdek.bc.ca.
Residents may also call the RDEK to ask for help signing up to the system — 1-888-478-7335. They can also sign up online by visiting the emergency information page on the RDEK website.
“We’ve seen our registrations almost double since the beginning of 2023, but still have a long way to go,” says Duczek. “If you have not yet registered, now is a great time to add this free tool as a part of your personal emergency readiness plan.”
For those who have previously registered, this is a good time to login and check that you have accurately marked your property location. During the wildfires of 2023, the RDEK found numerous users had inaccurately marked their property location. Those unsure of how to check can stop in during the registration events or contact the RDEK.
Wish I could do it on line. It would be my luck I would get called out to an emergency and miss getting registered. Its all good though. I am positive I will make it to one of the openings. Thanks for the information and I think this is a greatly needed service for residents such as myself with real estate in more than one place.
LET’S DO THIS.