Calgary emergency officials ready to help with historic B.C. floods

While no official requests have been made yet, the City of Calgary is ready to jump into action as the cleanup continues after devastating floods and mudslides in British Columbia.

One organization ready to go is Canada Task Force 2, which is based in the city. Counterparts with Canada Task Force 1 have already been assisting in B.C. through the week.

“They are ready, and they’ve updated their status to on-call status. So, we’ve done preliminary work and done a lot of prep work to get ready for this if there was a request to come through,” said Calgary Emergency Management Agency Deputy Chief Coby Duerr.

Duerr said some requests would also have to go through city administration and then back to council, but it all depends on the nature of what B.C. may need.

It is stressed, though, that there has to be an official request made by B.C. first before any assistance can be sent across the border.

“It’s extremely important that there be an official request, because one of the pieces of that official request is being able to catch those resources that are coming in, integrate them into your response and being accountable for those resources,” Duerr said.

“Calgary is ready, willing and able but it’s going to be essential that we wait for that formal request to come,” added the city’s General Manager Katie Black. “So for now, we will stand by and wait for that request. When that request comes we will be able to mobilize extremely quickly.”

City councillors also passed along a message that they do want to help in any way possible, and their thoughts go out to the affected people in B.C.

“I’m sure many of us know friends and family who are impacted out in B.C., and it is definitely a hard thing to sit and watch and feel helpless,” said Ward 11 Councillor Kourtney Penner.