Disaster Response Route
Encyclopedia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
that can best move emergency services and supplies to where they are needed in the event of a major disaster. These roads are part of the Coordinated Regional Emergency Transportation Strategy and are intended for emergency responders when a disaster strikes and are not evacuation
Emergency evacuation
Emergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
routes for the public.
History
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. It was decided that BC will require a system to control post-disaster traffic and BC became the first jurisdiction in the world to implement a disaster response road plan in 1995 . In the original plan, only Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
roads were considered but eventually expanded to marine routes, railways and air transports.
DRR roads are capable of withstanding natural disasters and the roads all link to Abbotsford
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
, more specifically to Abbotsford International Airport
Abbotsford International Airport
Abbotsford International Airport is located in the City of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, southwest of the city centre.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
.. While DRR consists mostly of roads, emergency plans also includes marine routes suitable for quick access for responders.
There were confusion since the launch of the program with the general public - the original sign did not include the third tab (Emergency Vehicles Only During a Disaster) which led many to believe these roads are for evacuation when disaster strikes. Since 2004, the Ministry of Transportation added the third tab and increased public awareness to promote the correct use of these roads during a disaster.
Operation
Roads that are pre-marked as DRR are open to the general public unless a state of emergency was declared by the municipal or provincial government. Once a state of emergency is declared, DRR can be activated and the local police will be responsible for cordoning off the roads. As soon as possible, the public will be allowed back onto the Disaster Response Routes.DRR is intended for those who have the following function to access the roads within 72 hours of a disaster strikes::
- Transport/diagnose/treat sick & injured
- Transport displaced persons
- Maintain law and order
- Extinguish fires & control hazards
- Control traffic & evacuations
- Search and RescueSearch and rescueSearch and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
- Protect public health and prevent spread of communicable diseases
- Assess damage
- Restore damaged transportation systems
- Restore communications infrastructure
- Restore water/gas/electricity supplies
- Manage any of the above
Specifically, 'DRR users' are categorized into 3 groups :
- First Responders - designated responders
- British Columbia Ambulance ServiceBritish Columbia Ambulance ServiceThe British Columbia Ambulance Service is the sole ambulance service and provider of pre-hospital emergency care in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It operates under the Emergency and Health Services Commission and the Provincial Health Services Authority, and is tasked with the...
- Fire & Rescue
- Police
- Key management staff
- British Columbia Ambulance Service
- Critical Service Providers - designated responder for the duration of the emergency
- Provincial Emergency Program volunteers
- Hospital staff
- Traffic controllers
- Public Works personnel
- Public Health officials
- Utility (hydro, electricity, etc.) crews
- Specialist Responders - designated responder only when called upon and only when performing specific recovery-related tasks
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
- Canadian Coast GuardCanadian Coast GuardThe Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. It is a federal agency responsible for providing maritime search and rescue , aids to navigation, marine pollution response, marine radio, and icebreaking...
- Structural engineer inspectors
- Technicians
- Supply delivery personnel
- Maintenance Crews
- Canadian Forces
Once activated, only those who have been issued with DRR hangers (for automobiles) or DRR decals (on Driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
, employee ID or government IDs) will be able to access the designated roads.
See also
- Provincial Emergency Program
- Emergency Social ServicesEmergency Social ServicesEmergency Social Services now becoming Emergency Support Services is a component of the Provincial Emergency Program of the Province of British Columbia. ESS are those services required to preserve the well-being of people affected by an emergency or disaster...
- E-CommE-Comm' is the Emergency Communications for Southwest British Columbia.E-Comm provides 9-1-1 service for the Lower Mainland region of southwest British Columbia in Canada covering Metro Vancouver , the Sunshine Coast Regional District, south Squamish-Lillooet Regional District and the Whistler Howe Sound...