Golden & Area Emergency Program

The Town of Golden administers the emergency program for Golden and Electoral Area A under the Golden and Area Emergency Management Program (GAEMP) Agreement.

The Emergency Program Act states that “a local authority must prepare or cause to be prepared local emergency plans respecting preparation for, response to and recovery from emergencies and disasters. A local authority must establish and maintain an emergency management organization to develop and implement emergency plans and other preparedness response and recovery measures."

The GAEMP provides emergency planning, mitigation, preparedness and recovery for the geographical area which encompasses the Town of Golden and Area A. GAEMP employs an Emergency Program Coordinator.  The GAEMP organization and plan are reviewed annually by a regional representative of Emergency Management BC.

It is important to note that the GAEMP is not a first responder service like Golden Fire Rescue, the BC Ambulance Service or RCMP.  It is a program that assists first responders in resourcing equipment or materials in an emergency or disaster and helps the community prepare, face and recover from the same.

Dogtooth Wildfire

For the latest information on the Dogtooth Wildfire:

Information for returning home after an evacuation order.

Be Prepared

  • Know the risks⁣⁣
  • Make a plan⁣⁣
  • Get an emergency kit⁣⁣

Emergency Program Coordinator Kyle Hale encourages residents to know the risks and develop their own emergency plan. It is important for people to be prepared to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours in the case of an emergency so that Emergency Services teams can focus on the most vulnerable in the community.

That means having enough food and water to get by without power or tap water, medication if needed and a plan that allows the whole family – including pets – to get to safety if instructed to do so by emergency responders.

The Get Prepared website has a wealth of information, checklists and even a printable family emergency kit that you can create online. Check your kit twice a year and re-stock as needed.

Evacuation Terms 

  • Evacuation Alert: Be ready to leave on short notice
  • Evacuation Order: You are at risk. Leave the area immediately
    • Tactical evacuation: This happens when a sudden threat to life requires immediate action and there is no time to prepare or issue written warnings. These types of evacuations are often coordinated by the RCMP or local police, with assistance from other agencies.
  • Evacuation Rescinded: The risk to life and safety has now passed

Stay Informed

The best ways to keep track of reliable, up-to-date information during an emergency, including  evacuation alerts or orders, is to:

  • Check the Town of Golden website home page
  • Follow the Town of Golden on Facebook or Instagram
  • Follow local media sources
  • Sign up for Alertable notifications. Learn more about Alertable below.
  • For mapped information about evacuation orders, alerts and the locations of wildfires or other emergency incidents in Golden and Area A and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD), launch the CSRD Emergency Dashboard
  • For wildfire information, visit www.bcwildfire.ca
  • Share this information with your family, friends and neighbours. Check in on people who may not be connected to Internet sources.

Alertable

Alertable is free for the public to use. It is a highly rated mass notification software that is made in Canada and used in more than 1,000 Canadian communities. Notifications are fast, reliable and easy to see and hear. Users can personalize notifications by type and severity and can opt in for multiple locations. Registration is anonymous and a strict privacy policy applies.  

When subscribed, all critical-level alerts will be issued for the areas you have specified. Advisory-level alerts can be customized by the user to suit their needs. 

For more information and to sign up, visit the Alertable website.

Contact

For more information on our local Emergency Management Program and emergency preparedness, contact:

Kyle Hale, Golden and Area Emergency Management Program Coordinator