[BCMA] BC State of Emergency - Information for Arts, Culture, and Heritage Organizations

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

On August 18, 2023 the Province of BC declared a state of emergency
<https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023PREM0054-001323> due to wildfires
threatening communities across the province. Here is some key information
about the state of emergency for arts, culture, and heritage organizations.

Currently, people are being asked to cancel non-essential travel to the
Central Interior and Southeast of BC, to support the needs of wildfire
crews, first responders and evacuees. In the emergency order, Premier David
Eby said <https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023PREM0054-001323>, “At this
time, we’re grateful that people are mostly following our call to not
travel to certain areas and to stay out of the way of emergency crews so
they can do their jobs. We are also seeing more and more people evacuated –
and access to accommodation is becoming increasingly tight in the Interior.
We need to ensure that accommodation is available for people who are
evacuated.”

Travellers and residents in impact areas are also encouraged to download
and allow notifications from Alertable
<https://alertable.ca/signup/index.html>: an emergency notification app
with customizable settings to receive the latest local alerts, such as road
closures and evacuation information, straight to your mobile device.

If you are concerned about your museum, the Canadian Conservation Institute
(CCI) offers an emergency hotline for Canada’s heritage community in the
aftermath of a fire, flood, earthquake or other catastrophes. Museums and
heritage organizations can call 1-866-998-3721 day or night and press 0 for
Security.

During non-working hours, the operator will request the following details
from you:

   -

   your name, institution, location, and your telephone number;
   -

   the nature of the collection affected;
   -

   the type, extent, and severity of damage; and
   -

   what action, if any, has been taken so far.


The BCMA also maintains up-to-date emergency preparedness and response
resources on our website:
https://museum.bc.ca/tools-and-resources/emergency-preparedness/

To find your region’s BC Heritage Emergency Response Network (BC HERN)
contact, visit: https://bchern.ca/contact/

Did you know that it is possible for museums and cultural venues to become
Emergency Support Services (ESS) volunteers and help to coordinate lodging,
food, family reunification, and dissemination of local information during
emergencies? Visit the Province of BC’s ESS page for more information about
this program:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/local-emergency-programs/volunteers/emergency-support-services


With Meta/Facebook’s recent ban on sharing Canadian news and the rapid
disintegration of Twitter/X, finding and sharing information within
communities about wildfires has become more challenging. To help spread the
word about how British Columbians can support communities impacted by
wildfires, Raven Trust has curated donation and mutual aid links on its
website. If you are able to support communities at this time, visit:
https://raventrust.com/wildfire-support/

If you are in an area impacted by wildfires:

   -

   Guidance for wildfire evacuees
   <https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/evacuation-recovery/evacuee-guidance#wildfire>
   -

   Travel and highway wildfire impacts from DriveBC <http://www.drivebc.ca/>
   -

   Information on how to prepare for wildfires from PreparedBC
   <https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/know-your-hazards/wildfires>
   -

   Recovering emotionally after a residential fire
   <https://www.apa.org/topics/disasters-response/residential-fire#:~:text=Losing%20a%20home%20can%20cause%20significant%20emotional%20distress.,of%20adjustment%20including%20shock%2C%20anger%2C%20depression%2C%20and%20hopelessness.>


*Ryan Hunt*
Executive Director
Pronouns: He/him To learn why pronouns are important, click here
<https://equity.ubc.ca/resources/gender-diversity/pronouns/>

The BC Museums Association office is located on the traditional, unceded
lands of the Lekwungen <https://vimeo.com/275788251> peoples (Songhees and
Xwsepsum Nations). We respect past, present, and future Indigenous stewards
and recognize that we are uninvited guests on this territory.

BC Museums Association || 675 Belleville Street  || Victoria, BC || V8W 9W2

Direct: 250-884-0499 || Office: 250-356-5700  || www.museum.bc.ca
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