The Comox Valley Emergency Management service partners are pleased to announce funding awarded under the 2025 Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Community Emergency Preparedness Fund – Emergency Support Services Training and Equipment stream.
Provincial funding of up to $150,000 has been approved to strengthen regional Emergency Support Services (ESS) capacity for the CVRD, K’ómoks First Nation, Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, and Village of Cumberland.
Emergency Support Services (ESS) is a provincial program that provides short term support to people who are forced from their homes due to emergencies or disasters. ESS may include access to food, clothing, lodging, emotional support, and other essential services for up to 72 hours, delivered through trained volunteers and local authorities. ESS is designed to meet immediate needs and support safe evacuation, but it does not replace household insurance while ESS focuses on public safety and short term stabilization.
“Emergency Support Services teams are essential to the province’s ability to coordinate mandated supports for people displaced by disasters,” says Will Cole Hamilton, Chair of the Comox Valley Regional District Board. “ESS programs are delivered by local and First Nation governments and without sustainable provincial funding, these partners and communities rely on annual grants to access the training and equipment needed for staff and volunteers to provide temporary supports to evacuees.”
Professional volunteers from the Comox Valley ESS team train alongside K’ómoks First Nation and local government staff, as well as neighbouring communities to deliver emergency supports in accordance with the Emergency and Disaster Management Act.
Continued investment in ESS programs is essential to sustaining culturally safe, trauma‑informed, and regionally coordinated supports for evacuees. For the Comox Valley this will include:
- Cross-agency training and exercises with mutual aid partners including Oceanside ESS volunteers and staff from Parksville, Qualicum, and Regional District of Nanaimo.
- Training on cultural safety and conflict management, Incident Command Systems, Psychological First Aid, and mental health.
- Upgrading supplies and equipment to improve on-scene safety, equipment and technology.
- Participation in provincial knowledge sharing opportunities with ESS staff and volunteers from across B.C.
- Supporting ESS volunteer recognition, recruitment, and retention.
In British Columbia, we enjoy incredible summers and we also know wildfire season is part of life here. One practical step you can take right now is to set up your Evacuee Registration & Assistance (ERA) profile. These profiles can be set up through the provincial BC Services Card app or by visiting www.ess.gov.bc.ca and following the steps. Emergencies can disrupt our plans at any time, so take a few minutes now to get prepared for anything – at home, at work, or on the road.
For more information on Comox Valley ESS and volunteer agencies in the CVRD, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/volunteeragencies.
Comox Valley Emergency Management (CVEM) is a regional service administered by the CVRD in partnership with the City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Town of Comox and K’ómoks First Nation to provide emergency management services and support to the region.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a partnership of three electoral areas and three municipalities operating on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of the land. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on providing sustainable services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.
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Media Contact:
Cari McIntyre
Manager of Comox Valley Emergency Management
250-334-6096