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| Other Emergency-related sites from the City of Vancouver: Emergency Preparedness & Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program | |||||||
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What is Emergency |
What is Emergency Social Services (ESS)?1. What is the role of Emergency Social Services in a disaster?Emergency Social Services provides for the various needs of evacuees in a disaster or emergency situation. Services include food, clothing, lodging, personal services, family reunification for evacuees, personal services and other specialized needs in a disaster. It is the role of ESS to set up and manage reception centres and shelters for people in need. 2. What partner agencies participate in the program and what are their roles?
3. What role will volunteers play in the disaster response?Many of the partner agencies rely on volunteers to deliver the services their agency is mandated to provide, however we will rely heavily on volunteers in all aspects of an ESS response. Volunteers will meet and greet evacuees, help them fill out registration forms, help with requests for goods and services and provide comfort and support if needed. Volunteers also fill positions on the City wide ESS team where there are no partner agencies for that service. These positions include lodging, public relations, communications, administration and volunteer services. 4. What role does Amateur Radio play?The City of Vancouver, Vancouver Police Department and the amateur radio community have set up an umbrella organization called VECTOR (Vancouver Emergency Community Telecommunications Organization). This is not a club, but a partnership of amateur radio clubs and individuals who have agreed to provide emergency back up communication for the City in a disaster or emergency. VECTOR will set up a communications station in every reception centre or shelter and provide communications to ESS Headquarters and the City Emergency Operations Centre. VECTOR volunteers may also help to locate emergency personnel if phones are not working, and they could provide damage assessment information from the scene of a disaster if needed. [top] 5. Where is the Emergency Social Services (ESS) Headquarters?ESS Headquarters is part of the Logistics Section of the City Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) located at the E-Comm Building, 3301 East Pender Street. There are 21 workstations using the WebEOC emergency management software program to help deploy resources, gather information about the disaster, provide updates in the status of the reception centres and shelters and allow communication with other members of the EOC. Each workstation can monitor radio reports, get access to the internet, and full telephone and fax capability. There is also an emergency satellite phone in the room, and access to amateur radio communications. The room includes meeting space for planning sessions and debriefing. 6. What does ESS do when there is no emergency?Planning for an emergency or disaster takes up more time than the actual response. Food supply companies, hotels and motels, clothing suppliers and other services and resources must be available in a quick response to help evacuees. Inventories of suppliers have to be maintained and agreements updated regularly. Volunteers must be trained, and the training must be followed up with simulation exercises. The ESS program must maintain a state of readiness by having current call out lists for every aspect of the program. Reception Centre kits with supplies, radio equipment, identification vests, signs, forms and procedural checklists must be maintained. An ongoing recruitment and orientation of volunteers must take place and they must be kept up to date with activities and trends in the ESS field. 7. How do the Community Based Teams fit into the ESS plan?Community Based ESS Teams are being developed in various Community Centres across the city. These consist of ESS volunteers living or working in the local community who have taken the core training available. Each Community Based Team has a steering committee consisting of supervisors for the component service areas. Teams do volunteer recruitment and training, seek out supplier agreements with local businesses, develop a plan to activate the team and problem solve any difficulties they encounter in the planning process. Each component supervisor has a component co-ordinator on the City ESS team working out of ESS Headquarters and providing help and resources on a city wide basis. [top] 8. How many Community based teams are there and how do they work with each other?There are currently ten established teams capable of being called to a disaster response in their community, or if necessary, travel to another community to help out. The teams interact with each other for training and simulation exercises, and components meet two or three times a year to compare progress and share ideas. Teams occasionally organize social events as well. 9. How much of my time would it take to get involved?There are currently ten established teams capable of being called to a disaster response in their community, or if necessary, travel to another community to help out. The teams interact with each other for training and simulation exercises, and components meet two or three times a year to compare progress and share ideas. Teams occasionally organize social events as well. 10. What about volunteers who do not live in a local community with an ESS team?Currently teams exist in Dunbar, Collingwood, Riley Park, Kitsilano, Hastings, Kerrisdale, Douglas Park, South Vancouver, (Marpole-Oakridge/Sunset/Killarney/Champlain), Strathcona/RayCam and the West End. Many of our ESS volunteers live outside of these communities, however when you register as a volunteer, we will assign you to the team of your choice. We expect that you will take the core training and participate in the simulation exercises. We keep a list of current volunteers, the training they have taken and what their interests or professions are. We will certainly call on you to help out in a disaster or emergency. 11. How do I get involved?Call Jackie Kloosterboer at 604-829-4373, or e-mail her at: ess@vancouver.ca to get a schedule of Introduction to ESS classes. You will receive a volunteer registration form at the ESS orientation workshop and you can ask questions and get information on upcoming training and exercises. [top] 12. You mention training. How much does it cost, and where would I have to go?All our training is free. Core training is provided by the Justice Institute of B.C. and is usually taught right in Vancouver. We try to offer a variety of options so that our volunteers can get easy access to the classes. More comprehensive training such as ESS Leadership/Management is usually taught at the Justice Institute in New Westminster, and although it is also free, the local ESS program must nominate applicants because the classes are open to ESS volunteers all over the Province. Our Partner Agencies also provide training in the areas they specialize in. 13. What if I’m not sure what I can contribute?Don’t worry, there’s something for everyone in the ESS program. You can meet and greet, help people with forms, help find resources, learn about amateur radio, run messages, take care of pets, organize files and help with many aspects of shelter and reception centre operation. We need people who can carry things and do set up as much as people who can plan and organize. We suggest that you get involved and see what interests you. Get trained and participate before the disaster, and help make a difference. 14. If I get involved, take all the training, would I have to help in a disaster?No. We expect our volunteers to make sure their families and homes are safe and secure before they are available to join a disaster response. To help, we provide free Personal Preparedness classes if you’re interested in taking them. We highly recommend it. [top] |
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Send e-mail to ess@vancouver.ca or call 3-1-1 (within Vancouver) or 604.873.7000 (outside Vancouver) with inquiries or comments. © ,
City of Vancouver, Emergency Social Services |