The Regional District of East Kootenay is going community to community to sign more residents up for the Evacuation Notification System.
RDEK Communications Manager Loree Duczek said residents signing up for the alert system helps save time when evacuations are issued.
“We go door-to-door when we have an evacuation order or alert and that process can take us six to eight hours just to get through the whole area,” she said.
“This tool allows us to do the same notifications in under two minutes. In an emergency situation where there is an evacuation order or alert, every second counts and nowhere is it more critical than in those moments. This tool helps people have the information they need immediately.”
The RDEK has seen a lot of people sign up in the past year, but there is always room for improvement
“We’ve seen our registrations almost double since the beginning of 2023, but still have a long way to go,” adds 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 also a perfect time to login and check that you have accurately marked your property location.”
The RDEK will be touring through every local community in April and May, offering support for people needing help signing up.
But Duczek said they hope to have more people signed up before a test of the system during the first week of May.