Work on making an evacuation route plan is underway for the Witset First Nation.
It was announced in early January along with a survey looking for community input on local hazards and evacuation barriers.
“A lot of this is community driven so local knowledge, historical knowledge is an important aspect of this plan,” said Emergency Program Coordinator Chris Turner.
The survey closed on Friday which he said saw an okay response.
Turner added received responses from the survey and in-person sessions will be combined with statistics and infrastructure information to finish the plan by this fall.
“Pretty much you’re looking at evacuation routes, ways in and out of the community, how many people are there, people who might need extra assistance, and how you can quickly get out of an area if you need to,” he said.
The project is being funded through a $40,000 Union of BC Municipalities Evacuation Route Planning Grant.
Turner is also hoping to tie this into the Town of Smithers’ and Village of Telkwa’s emergency evacuation plan done by Bulkley Valley Emergency Support Services.
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