|
|
|
|
 |
Departments > Victoria Emergency Management Agency > About Us About UsWhat Is Our Role? The Victoria Emergency Management Agency (VEMA) is the City of Victoria's resource for helping our community prepare for an emergency. Responsible for training City staff and coordinating an emergency response in the event of a disaster, VEMA also educates and empowers Victoria citizens on how to be "emergency prepared". We are tasked with coordinating the emergency management activities within the City of Victoria. VEMA works to coordinate a number of internal City functions and many community stakeholders as they ready for future large-scale emergencies and disasters. VEMA accomplishes this through emergency preparedness activities such as training events, exercises, and public education. Where Do We Live? VEMA is housed at the Victoria Fire Department, but its activities require regular engagement with all City of Victoria departments. VEMA is a corporate program in that it coordinates most of the emergency management activities within City departments. Why Do We Exist? VEMA exists as a result of the Emergency Program Bylaw. The City, like all municipal governments in the Province of British Columbia, is required by the Emergency Program Act and Regulations to have an emergency management organization, an emergency plan, and train staff and exercise that plan regularly. Who Are Our Partners? VEMA also maintains several key relationships with other stakeholders in the community, recognizing that disasters will affect us all, and that all of us must play a coordinated role in responding to any disaster we face. Several non-government and non-profit organizations and many businesses have partnered with VEMA in emergency planning activities. Who Are We? VEMA is comprised of three staff members: the Emergency Coordinator, the Deputy Emergency Coordinator, and the administrative support / liaison position. These three staff work with five important internal volunteer teams which include:
Each team is comprised of motivated and dedicated volunteers. In times when the community is not engaged in a large scale emergency event, VEMA’s volunteer based teams can be used to support smaller emergency events. Members of our Evacuee Assistance team are regularly called out to house fires, apartment fires, and police armed stand-offs. The Auxiliary Communications team often utilizes its trained members and equipment to assist in community events throughout the region by providing radio communications. Urban Search and Rescue team volunteers must be ready to search for and rescue people trapped in collapsed or partially collapsed buildings in Victoria. All of the volunteer teams within VEMA participate in public education events in an effort to raise awareness about individual emergency preparedness. These events also help to maintain the skills and interest of the active volunteers of VEMA. What Is The Role of City Staff? VEMA also has access to over 100 City employees. Approximately 90 staff members have assigned roles in VEMA's Emergency Operations Centre. Another 20 employees have assigned roles in the Rapid Damage Assessment team. In times of a large emergency, VEMA, through an activated Emergency Operations Centre, can access any staff member in the organization.
|
|
