ESSA AGM – 20th Anniversary

ESSA Office News.................2ESSA Office News.................3Feature Team .........................4Photo Gallery .......................5Hot Topic ..............................6Feature Team .........................7For Your Information.............8MST ......................................9ESS Office Update ................10Training .................................11For Your Information.............12

INSIDE:

ESSA supporters – past and present, from near and far – gathered at the Sheraton Wall Centre on November 25, 2008 to attend the annual general meeting which also marked the 20th anniversary of ESSA.

To a full room, Bernadette Woit – current ESSA President, spoke about ESSA’s success contributing much of it to those who have been previously associated with ESSA over the past 20 years. We were lucky enough to have some of those integral people present that night: Ivan Carlson, Heather Lyle, Sally Pollock, Bill Andrews, Laurie Pearce, Larry Pearce, Colleen Vaughan, Doreen Myers, and Rob Johns. There were also many other supporters of ESSA present including: Maggie Grant, Mike Andrews, Lynn Powells, Dave Scott, Cam Filmer, Brenda Fox,

ESSA’s Past Presidents, Ian Chang (not present), Heather Lyle, Larry Pearce, Bryan Larrabee (not present), and Rob Johns were honoured with ESSA lifetime memberships for their successful leaderships of ESSA over the past 20 years.

The first ever ESSA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented this evening to Sally Pollock. As one of the founding members of ESSA, a lengthy career in Emergency Management with the Justice Institute, a leader in her own community, and her ongoing commitment to ESS, even in her retirement, Sally was the perfect choice to receive such an award. Bernadette presented Sally with a sterling

silver first nations bracelet with a raven engraving, which represents respect, knowledge, and prestige.

As part of the actual business of the Annual General Meeting, new Board of Directors were nominated. The 2008/2009 ESSA Board of Directors are: Elizabeth Thompson, Bernadette Woit, Elaine Balul, Joyce McLeod, Andrew Wilson, Cheryl Lalonde, Susanne MacKinnon, Lise Anne Pierce, Jackie Kloosterboer, and Marijke Edmonson. Along with Janine Aussem, ESSA Executive Director, they look forward to continuing with the vision of past volunteers and working on new initiatives.

several ESSD’s representing their communities from around BC, as well as Board Members and staff, past and present.

Ivan Carlson took the floor and provided a brief overview on how ESSA came to be. ESS was formerly managed by the Ministry of Social Services but through a JEPP grant, five contractors were hired in different parts of the Province and it was their role to seek out volunteers. After the first year, there were 52 people willing to step up and take on organizing ESS in their communities. Five people in the Lower Mainland formed the first regional working group called ESSA. These people became the voice for the volunteers.

To mark ESSA’s 20th anniversary several presentations were made. First Cam Filmer, PEP Executive Director, presented a plaque to ESSA on behalf of Minister John Van Dongen. Cam noted that the people that have been and continue to be involved with ESS and ESSA are some of the best in the country and have become visionary and dynamic leaders. ESSA then presented Brenda Fox with a certificate of excellence to mark her retirement and recognize her dedication to keeping ESS as a public safety lifeline.

ESSA is a non-profit association established to support ESS volunteers and communities inBritish Columbia in the development and maintenance of their Emergency Social Services Program.

Volume 21, Issue 1 Winter 2008 / 2009

Kerry Evans, Program Support, ESSA

ESSA 2009 Board of Directors

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Aessa office news

ESSAEmergencySocialServicesAssociation

President Bernadette Woit

Vice-President Susanne Mackinnon

Treasurer/Director Vacant

Secretary/Director Lise Anne Pierce

ESSA assumes no responsibility for the advertisements appearing in this publication, nor any representation made therein, nor the quality, reliability, or deliverability of the products or

services that are advertised. Printed in Canada - 3S Printers

DirectorsCheryl Lalonde Andrew WilsonElizabeth Thomson Elaine BalulJackie Kloosterboer Joyce McLeodMarijke EdmondsonA Publication of the

Emergency Social Services Association of British Columbia

PO Box 50029 South Slope RPO Burnaby BC, V5J 5G3

Telephone: 604-435-1442Facsimile: 866-824-7505

E-mail: info@essa.caToll-free: 1-800-910-ESSA (3772)

Web Site: www.essa.ca

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PROFESSIONAL STAFFExecutive DirectorJanine Aussem

Executive Director’s Report Janine Aussem

2008 ended with a great bang for ESSA. The strong turnout of members and guests for the 2008 ESSA Annual General Meeting was very gratifying. We celebrated the 20th

Anniversary of ESSA and presented the first ESSA Lifetime Achievement Award to Sally Pollock. Sally has been an inspiration and a great source of support to hundreds of ESS Directors, Volunteers and Practitioners. It was a pleasure for ESSA to recognize her. Likewise, it was rewarding for current and past ESSA Directors and Staff to be presented with a plaque recognizing the contributions of ESSA over the last 20 years, from Provincial Emergency Program Executive Director, Cam Filmer. It was indeed a memorable AGM.

Following upon such a successful AGM, the next day at the Emergency Preparedness Conference ESSA received the Emergency Preparedness Conference Award of Excellence, presented by Mr. Mervin Harrower. This is a prestigious award and

it is an honour for ESSA to be recognized with it. The Penninsula Emergency Management Organization also received an EP Conference Award of Excellence, our congratulations to them.

Such a positive week culminated with the second in person meeting of the ESSA Advisory Forum on November 28 in Richmond. The Advisory Forum members were inspiring and the group made significant strides in determining the projects they will move ahead over the next 6 months. All of these initiatives are designed to benefit all of the ESS Teams in the province.

One of the first initiatives the Advisory Forum members are hoping to fulfill is the creation of a comprehensive provincial ESS Director and Alternate contact list. In order to share resources, information, and opportunities the Advisory Forum is developing, such a list is needed. If you are an ESS Director or Alternate and want to be added to the list please call 1-800-910-3772 or e-mail info@essa.ca.

Regional ESSA Sponsored Seminars are currently scheduled in Saanich, Feb. 28, Dawson Creek, March 14 and Kitimat, March 28. The speaker will be Karen Martin of the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities. Karen will talk about the importance of

planning for and including vulnerable populations in your Emergency and ESS plans. She will provide insight into how to get started with the work and will share valuable resources.

ESSA Conference; the list of presenters for the Annual ESSA Conference is filling quickly. The theme of the conference is ‘Lasooing Challenges’ and the host Williams Lake Team are doing all sorts of work getting ready for the big day on May 30th. The cost of the conference will be $30.00, including lunch. Registration will begin in February.

ESSA 2009 Membership Invoices; if your community was an ESSA Member in 2008, you should have already received an invoice for your 2009 membership. Invoices will be distributed to other municipalities and regional districts in the coming weeks. Your support of ESSA is much appreciated. We will continue to provide programs and services of benefit to your ESS Teams.

I want to thank all of the contributors to this edition of the newsletter, especially Dr. Yaya De Andrade, another former Riley Park (Vancouver) ESS Team member. Your articles make the newsletter great!

On behalf of the ESSA Board of Directors and staff, I wish you all the best in 2009.

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3essa office news

Andrew is the Manager of Corporate B u s i n e s s C o n t i n u i t y Planning at W o r k S a f e B C , the Workers Compensa t i on

Board of British Columbia. His responsibilities involve the facilitation of the development, review, and testing of the business continuity plans in the operational areas, setting standards and templates for those plans and managing the monthly update and plan distribution process.

He currently serves on two advisory committees for the Province of British Columbia: the Business Continuity Management Provincial Advisory Committee and the Business Continuity Management Pandemic Working Group.

For his sins, Andrew is also in the final year of an MA in Disaster & Emergency Planning and is researching the likelihood that people will report to work following a disaster and what employers can do to increase the probability of that happening.

Andrew has been a member of Vancouver’s Downtown ESS for several years and, as a resident, has a strongly vested interest in ensuring that the disaster planning is as good as

possible. Andrew is a firm believer in the principle of personal preparedness but recognizes that many people don’t like to plan for “bad things” or that the disaster can overwhelm individual planning. In those cases, as a society, we need to ensure that we are prepared to assist those in need, hence his enthusiasm for ESS in BC.

Andrew is honoured to been invited to serve on the Board of ESSA and is looking forward to the next couple of years. He looks forward to being able to implement some of the knowledge he’s gained over the past while and work towards his goal of having a more resilient BC.

Cheryl Lalonde started with the Port Coquitlam Fire and E m e r g e n c y Services as the Secretary to the Fire Chief in 1992. In January

of 2000 Cheryl accepted the position

of Assistant Emergency Coordinator and Co-Emergency Social Service Director. This also position included various responsibilities and duties within the Fire Service. In October of 2008 a restructure was completed in the Fire Department Administration and Cheryl was promoted to the Emergency Program Officer for the City of Port Coquitlam.

Cheryl will be receiving her Emergency Management Certificate in February 2009. As part of the Emergency Social Services Association Board of Directors and active in the Local Government’s Emergency Management field, Cheryl hopes to encourage the communication between Emergency Coordinators and Emergency Social Services Directors.

E l i z a b e t h Thomson, our newest Board M e m b e r , has a varied background in Safety & Security and Emergency M a n a g e m e n t .

Some of Liz’s background includes serving as a Human Resources Manager, Health Care Security Manager, for a major security firm. Liz took to the high seas and was responsible for ship safety and security for Princess Cruises.

Liz then turned her passion for emergency management to the City of Vancouver as a consultant developing

a variety of plans and high risk assessments. Liz then moved onto the role of Emergency Planner for E-COMM. Liz was tasked with developing E-Comm’s disaster response plan, risk evaluation, and mitigation strategies for E-Comm Facilities.

Liz recently joined FNESS (First Nations Emergency Social Services) as the Provincial Emergency Response Officer. Liz’s role at FNESS is to develop emergency plans for the 201 First Nations’ communities across the Province. She has already begun a successful journey to forge new partnerships with several First Nations’ communities.

Liz has been involved in the Emergency Social Services program

for the City of Vancouver and she actively participates as a member of the Hasting Community team. She recently completed her ESS director’s course and is ready to graduate from the JIBC Emergency Management Certificate Program. She is also a member of the British Columbia Emergency Management Association and International Association of Emergency Managers

In her spare time Liz is an avid scuba diver and a Certified Dive Instructor with PADI International and loves to travel and Kayak whenever the opportunity permits. Liz has is looking forward to her new role with ESSA and brings enthusiasm, passion, commitment and the vision for change.

Andrew Wilson

Introducing ESSA’s New Directors

Cheryl Lalonde

Elizabeth Thomson

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Afeature team

On Saturday, November 1, 2008 at 9:30 am, Quadra Island was rocked by an earthquake similar to the 1946 quake that dropped the end of Rebecca Spit into the ocean.

The first call received by the Campbell River Fire dispatch was a building collapse followed quickly by reports from Quadra Loop of multiple buildings down. With representatives from Fire, Police, Ambulance, and ESS present, an Emergency Operation centre for Quadra Island was established to coordinate the community response to the disaster. Chief Clandening quickly organized the volunteers into teams to assess the neighbourhoods affected.

PEP was advised of the situation, a task number was assigned, and volunteers were notified to set up a Reception Centre at the Community Centre. Operation Centre briefings were starting to take place and with most of phone lines still operational neighbourhood programs started reporting on their status. Gowlland Harbour had damage and a team was sent out to evacuate two families. Damage in Campbell River necessitated implementation of an Operation Centre and a Reception Centre there to deal with their situation and evacuees.

So began the first major training exercise for the Quadra Emergency Program as part of the Regional District’s Strathcona Emergency Program!!!! Quadra has well-organized, fully functional responders in our Fire Department, RCMP, Ambulance, and Emergency Social Services. In this Exercise, 20 Quadra FireFighters, three members of the RCMP, 52 local

Emergency Social Services volunteers, and four ambulance attendants were involved. Many local residents acted as evacuees. ESS volunteers from Gold River, Comox, and Sayward also came to take part in the Exercise.

Our first attempt at an Operation Centre was truly a learning experience. We were fortunate to have the Regional District Emergency Program deputy coordinator, Howie Siemens on hand to assist us. The Fire Department checked out much of the four main quadrants of the Fire District and the RCMP provided support in evacuations, investigated lootings and assisted the newly trained security group at the Reception Centre. Ambulance transport was required at two locations.

The Reception Centre set up was a great success with a few glitches, but the islanders ingenuity shines with challenges. After a lovely lunch served by the ESS Food Services,

volunteer recognition name tags, pins, and certificates were presented by Russ Hotsenpiller, the Strathcona Emergency Program director.

The mock Reception Centre officially opened at 1300 hours and processed 29 evacuees in Registration and Referrals. Some of the other services offered were First Aid, Emotional Support, Children Services, Pet Care, and Search and Reply.

We are truly thankful this was not a real emergency but after the exercise we know where we need to focus our training for the coming year. Communication is a very real problem as at certain locations there was no radio or cell phone service for any of the emergency responders if the regular phone lines were down. The Exercise was a great success and provided beneficial training for everyone involved.

Quadra Island Emergency Program Exercise

Quadra ESS Volunteers Participate in First Major Training Exercise

Betty Doak and Judy Hagen

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5photo gallery

PEP Executive Director, Cam Filmer presents ESSA President, Bernadette Woit and Executive Director, Janine Aussem with a plaque recognizing ESSA’s 20 years of service to ESS in BC.

Sally Pollock presented with the ESSA Lifetime Achievement Award at the AGM

Bernadette Woit and Janine Aussem accepted the EP Conference Award of Excellence

on behalf of the organization.

ESSA presented honorary lifetime memberships to Past Presidents Heather Lyle, Larry Pearce and Rob Johns

Past Presidents not able to attend: Ian Chang and Bryan LarrabeeESSA recognized Brenda Fox for her leadership

and wished her a happy retirement

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Ahot topic

In the last decades, it has been evident that in any disaster, children, among other groups, must be given special consideration due to the long standing impact of such experiences on their overall health and development. After a disaster, the reality for many children is changed abruptly. They may lose a parent, their home, become displaced with no routine, school may not be available, and they may have to adjust to a completely foreign environment with diverse language, culture, and ongoing new demands. However children are resilient and have a great ability to bounce back when supported and offered opportunities to learn and improve their well-being.

When was working in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka, I realized that the children were eager to learn, to cope with their fears and grief, and genuinely enjoyed when they could occupy themselves with familiar activities, for example, flying a kite, even in the middle of all the tsunami destruction around them.

One of the most important aspects after a disaster is to restore a routine for children, and when possible, to have them returning to school. They are eager to learn, to tell their story, and in fact this is one of the most effective strategies to increase their sense of safety and coping mechanisms. Evidently adequate basic needs such as food, water, and shelter must be a priority. To be around their loved ones, their families, and adults who care for them, becomes an additional buffer to their distress.

There are uncountable resources available through the internet, o r g a n i z a t i o n s , hospitals, and schools about children’s symptoms related to disaster. The possible effects of a disaster on children and families vary, but usually they present normal reactions to an abnormal, unexpected situation. In Canadian schools there are programs to help children to prepare for and better cope with disasters. Teachers and counselors are trained to assess and intervene in the event of a disaster.

One must consider not only physical trauma but also the psychological effects of a disaster. When parents and adults are able to take care of themselves and the children, children’s adjustment is easier and they adapt better to major changes. When there is violence or conflicts at home, children show more difficulties to recover and will be at a higher risk.

Many children after disaster regress and become emotionally upset. It is important to monitor their behaviours and moods so one can prevent more complex psychological difficulties. Some children must cope with difficult losses, the greatest being the death of a loved one. They may grief for a long time, their search for meaning is personal, and it proceeds in different ways for each child.

Anniversaries may trigger reactions and sometimes children will need extra support around

these times. It is important that adults also understand that a child’s view of what happens may be very different than his/her parent or teacher. It is essential that children are able to talk freely about their experience and one must normalize their fears with support. While some children express through words, others would rather make drawings or “replay” what has happened. They need permission from adults, especially parents to show and deal with the impact of disaster.

When children remain anxious and their behaviours continue to be a concern after longer than a month, referral to a mental health professional must be considered to prevent more complex difficulties.

The Impact of Disasters on ChildrenDr. Yaya de Andrade, Registered Psychologist, Vancouver

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7feature team

In 2004 the GESS PALS team began training to assist both companion animals and livestock that may be affected by a disaster occurring on our island. We are a unique community, in that our only access for evacuation is via ferry or by private boat, so it was vital that our organization develop a strategic plan to “shelter in place” if at all possible.

With such a diverse population of animals, everything from Llama’s, Alpaca’s, large Chicken/Turkey farms, horses, cattle, ostriches, sheep, goats and of course dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, rats and fish it was essential that a emergency pet services team be available and have the skills required for search and rescue, sheltering, first aid and shelter management.

Gail Moerkerken, a Canadian Coordinator with Noah’s Wish, an organization exclusively working in emergency disaster response for animals, was thrilled to become the GESS Pet Care Coordinator and share her knowledge, training and experience with this team of dedicated animal supporters. Through Gail’s experiences in Fire Storm 2003 in both Kamloops and Kelowna and in Hurricanes Katrina, Gustav and Ike, the PALS team soon became familiar with all aspects of disaster response for the most vulnerable, our animals. Also, many of the PALS team have taken the three day training program in disaster response with Noah’s Wish and are able to bring their own personal experiences to

the table to assist with all avenues of response, as needed.

As the team grew, Margaret Taylor became a Co-Coordinator with Gail and Debra Shogun is now the Secretary. This active team has participated in two mock disasters, organized educational booths, fundraised to purchase much needed equipment such as an emergency transfer stretcher, first aid supplies and crates. One of our greatest joys is holding a Blessing of the Animals every year where we have the opportunity to honor those that share our lives and this provides us the ability to raise awareness on how to keep animals safe during a disaster.

In addition, Gail has just been certified as a Foreign Animal Disease Response Officer by completing the AGTerror Emergency Responder Training taught by Homeland

Security in Nevada, USA. This course contained information on the critical roles of Emergency Responders in a foreign animal disease event, how to assist with quarantine procedures during a disease outbreak, personal protection equipment required, cleaning and disinfecting procedures for people, vehicles and property, denitrifying euthanasia techniques, diseased animal disposal and how to manage physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms of traumatic stress for those involved in a Foreign Animal Disease incident.

The PALS team will soon be trained in Foreign Animal Disease Response and this will add yet another skill level to their already fantastic base.

Gabriola Emergency Social Services Pet and Livestock (PALS) Team

Gabriola ESS Pet and Livestock Team prepare for an exercise

Gail Moerkerken, Gabriola ESS Pet and Livestock Team Co-Coordinator

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Afor your information

Useful LinksA complete Emergency Planning Guide for the Disabled and Special Needs:

http://www.langleyemergencyprogram.bc.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=42

The Disaster Management Canada (DMC) magazine is now available on-line. Subscription is free to all Disaster Management professionals:

http://www.ccep.ca/subscribe

An article which weaves together findings on disaster impacting children’s psychological, physical, and educational vulnerabilities, as well as strategies for protecting and supporting children through all of the phases of emergency management:

http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/18_1/18_1_01_DisastersIntro.pdf

The revised BC Coalition of People with Disabilities website now includes a page on Emergency Preparedness:

http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/projects/emergency.htm

There is a certification program available: Foreign Animal Disease Response Training and while it is USA based a great majority of the information is transferable to British Columbia. This Certification Program will also allow people to teach the curriculum and with some modification it will be a wonderful course for ESS Pet teams in the Province:

http://www.agterror.org/_includes/fileblob.asp?I=126&table=course&ext=pdf&name=syllabus.pdf

Volunteer BC has posted an online training calendar:

http://www.volunteerbc.bc.ca/events/training.html

Here’s a website that provides ideas on team building activities. Several of them can be modified to suit an ESS audience:

http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html

This site provides information on the company’s emergency meals, testimonials, case studies, and product ordering should for emergency food rations. Meal Kit Supply Canada:

http://www.mealkitsupply.com

The 2008 BC Earthquake Response Plan has now been released and is available on the PEP website. This plan describes a high level concept of operations for an integrated provincial response to a damaging earthquake impacting British Columbia and provides a solid foundation for earthquake planning in the years ahead:

http://www.pep.gov.bc.ca/hazard_plans/hazard_plans.html

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9mobile support teams

It’s been nearly two months now since members from the provincial MST teams were invited to attend a meeting at the RCMP Pacific Regional Training Centre in Chilliwack. There were 45 of the 56 members who were able to attend and most arrived by Friday night. The evening started out getting to know colleagues from various regions as we were partnered up together for the weekend. It struck me early on that MST members have many things in common, including a long standing dedication to ESS. This was further emphasized by the many familiar faces… I enjoyed reminiscing over the memories that many of us shared such as flooding in Pemberton, Squamish, interface fires in 2003 and 1998 just to name a few. I was also delighted to run into municipal ESS members who had moved out of my region and planted their roots (including ESS) somewhere

else in BC. Their passion continued as they moved into new locations.

The event itself was full of value and can only be reflective of PEP staff who obviously spent a great deal of time ensuring that the weekend would be feasible and beneficial to all those who attended. The sessions were relevant and interesting including the mentoring session on Saturday morning followed by a tabletop exercise later that afternoon. Sunday morning two team members shared their experiences in New Orleans and Texas. This was followed up with an in depth discussion on ways to better utilize skills and ability of MST members in emergency planning and response.

There was great dialogue regarding the progress we have made and our interaction with each other synergistic.

This meeting, the first of its kind, only solidifies the collective efforts of our provincial MST members and acts as a catalyst for further development.

It was a special opportunity to honour Brenda Fox, who after so many years of dedication has decided to retire from PEP and ESS. Good luck Brenda.

It was a pleasure reconnecting and meeting others for the first time. There are many opportunities that will result from our weekend conference and we all look forward to what this means to the development and advancement of ESS. Because of so many dedicated and hard working individuals, these are very exciting times for the PEP Lifeline program (ESS).

MST MeetingSuzanne MacKinnon

Provincial Mobile Support Team members gathered in Chilliwack in October

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Aess office update

With the recent retirement of Brenda Fox, PEP is pleased to introduce Carol McClintock as the new Manager, Training, Exercise, and Volunteer Programs. Carol joins PEP after more than ten years with the Victoria Police Department where

she oversaw all crime prevention programs and carried responsibility for volunteer components of the department. Carol’s responsibilities included public education and public safety. This background will help ease Carol’s transition into the PEP family,

particularly in her role of supporting volunteer programs, including ESS. Carol brings a keen awareness of the challenges of volunteer recruitment and retention, personal wellness, and the importance of a collaborative approach to team building.

Another new face around the Training, Exercise and Volunteer Programs (TEVP) Unit at PEP is Tamara Ravenwood. Tamara was taken on as an auxiliary to help out with the many HQ administrative tasks that keep things running smoothly. ESS members and others who call into PEP may well find themselves speaking with Tamara so an introduction is in order. Tamara will also be responsible for processing ESS Referrals and filling orders for brochures, etc. Welcome Carol and Tamara.

ESS Office Staffing updates

We would like to thank all those people who took the time to participate in the recent Emergency Social Services Survey. Results of the review have now been tabulated and an action plan will be developed. The review will prove to be a valuable tool to enhance the success of Emergency Social Services. We were impressed by the many

suggestions that we received and we commit to working cooperatively with local authorities and ESS Support Organizations to ensure all changes to the program are agreed upon, understood and aimed at providing the support and motivation the ESS Program needs and deserves. We will be reviewing this information over the

next few weeks and will provide more survey results early in the New Year.

Please do not hesitate to contact ESS staff at PEP Headquarters if you have any comments or questions.

Open Letter to the ESS Community

COURSE: AREA: WHEN: WHERE:Managing Walk-In Volunteers Burnaby Early 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Reception Centre North Shore Jan 12/19, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Inquiry, Search & Reply Fraser Valley Jan 16, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Group Lodging Abbotsford Jan 24, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Managing Walk-In Volunteers Coquitlam Jan, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Meet & Greet Whistler Jan, 2009 The Salvation Army

ESS Training

Carol McClintock new PEP Manager Training, Exercise and Volunteer Programs

Tamara Ravenwood PEP HQ Administrative Assistance

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11trainingESS Training continued...

Reception Centre Surrey Feb 04, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Resource Acquisition Delta Feb 07, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Registration & Referrals North Shore Feb 9/16, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Inquiry, Search & Reply Delta/Richmond Feb 21, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Reception Centre Chilliwack Feb 21, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Resource Acquisition Fraser Valley Regional District Feb/March, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation Surrey March 04, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Registration & Referrals March 06, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Managing Walk-In Volunteers Delta March 14, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation North Shore March 24, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Managing Walk-In Volunteers Whistler March 28, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Group Lodging Trail/RDKB Winter, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation Elkford/RDEK Fall, 2008 Justice Institute of BC

Reception Centre Castlegar Fall, 2008 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation Golden Fall, 2008 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation Castlegar Winter, 2009

Reception Centre Elk Valley/RDEK Spring, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Registration & Referrals Kaslo/Nelson/RDCK Winter, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation RDOS Feb 07 or 21, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Registration & Referrals Kamloops Feb 07, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation Kamloops March 08, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Documentation Lilloett March 14, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Group Lodging Quesnel March 27/28, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Group Lodging Houston Jan 24, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Managing Walk-In Volunteers Kitimat Fall, 2008 Justice Institute of BC

Managing Walk-In Volunteers Vanderhoof March, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Group Lodging Comox Jan 17, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Reception Centre South Island Jan 17, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Registration & Referrals South Island Jan 31, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Inquiry, Search & Reply Oceanside Feb 07, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Family Reunification Workshop for Supervisors Langford Feb 07, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Inquiry, Search & Reply Campbell River Feb 21, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Documentation Campbell River Feb, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Managing Walk-In Volunteers South Island Feb 21, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Emotional Support Campbell River Feb 26-28, 2009 The Salvation Army

Managing Walk-In Volunteers Campbell River March, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Group Lodging South Island March 07, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

Family Reunification Workshop for Supervisors Oceanside March 07, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Inquiry, Search & Reply Comox March 07, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Family Reunification Workshop for Supervisors Comox March 21, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Inquiry, Search & Reply South Island March 28, 2009 Canadian Red Cross

Documentation South Island March 28, 2009 Justice Institute of BC

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Afor your information

Canadian Publication Mail Sales Agreement No.

40032749

Return Address:P.O. Box 50029 South Slope RPO, Burnaby, BC V5J 5G3

ESSA Online Forum for ESS Directors and Volunteers

Any Emergency Social Services (ESS) volunteer or staff member from around the province can join the on-line conversation, share information and ideas, start discussions about ESS related topics, and ask questions. We hope this will become an invaluable networking tool.

Anyone is able to view the postings but to be part of the discussion, you have to register. Registration is free. Click on “register” and follow the prompts. For more instructions on registering, have a look in the “Welcome” section of the forum. It may take up to a day for your account to be verified and activated.

You can find a direct link on the main page of the ESSA web site to access the on-line discussion forum or you can also find it at: www.essa.ca/phpBB2

Check it out!

ESSAP.O. Box 50029 South Slope RPO,

Burnaby, BC V5J 5G3

Telephone: 604 - 435-1442

Fax: 866-824-7505

Toll-free: 1-800-910-ESSA

E-mail: info@essa.ca

Save A TreeIf you would prefer to view our newsletter mESSAges via the ESSA website (www.essa.ca), please notify the ESSA office via e-mail (info@essa.ca) and we will remove your name from our distribution list. This will help minimize our postage and printing costs as well as preserve our forests.

Contact Information

ESS SuppliesPlease take note that when ordering supplies, specifically name tags, the turn around time is 4-6 weeks. The name tags require being created at a different location. We appreciate your patience while we work on your orders and look forward to filling your future requests.

Currently the following supplies are available for purchase: ESS blank business cards, ESSD / Alt business cards, ESS logo decals (adhesive back), ESS logo decals (adhesive front), ESS brass name tags, ESS peel & stick logo (black), ESS peel & stick logo (blue), ESS note card with envelope, and ESS lapel pins.

To order your supplies send an e-mail to supplies@essa.ca or print off the order form from the ESSA website, under the Supplies section.

ESSA Membership

If your community has not received an invoice for your 2009 membership yet, please contact Janine at 1-800-910-ESSA (3772) to learn more about the

benefits of membership with ESSA.

ESSA Conference May 30, 2009 in Williams Lake

Registration begins mid February

Cost $30.00 includes lunch

Details on ESSA Website