Emergency Preparedness Resources Developed to Support the Tourism Sector and Business

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The City of Kimberley and the Kimberley and District Chamber of Commerce have developed a new resource for tourism and other businesses in Kimberley to help them prepare for emergencies.

Funded by the Provincial Resort Municipality Initiative, the Emergency Preparedness for Tourism Operators and Training video walks business owners through the steps to take in the event of an emergency. It also outlines actions they can take prior to any emergency to help them get prepared. This project was developed in response to the 2018 evacuation alert put in place when Kimberley was faced with the threat of wildfire.

“We know that now is not the time our business community is thinking about emergencies, particularly wildfire,” said Fire Chief Rick Prasad. “But now is the exact time they should be preparing and practicing the actions they will need to take if Kimberley is threatened by wildfire. The video provides a quick snapshot of those steps. Other resources developed by PrepareBC can help them put their plans to paper. Check out our website for these resources to get prepared.”

A link to the Emergency Preparedness Video and all other resources are available on the City of Kimberley website at HERE. Thanks to the businesses that supported filming and to Courtney Forester of Big Magic Design for creating the video.

“I am proud of the City of Kimberley and the Kimberley District of Chamber of Commerce for developing this video and guiding tools that will encourage and assist local tourism businesses to create emergency preparedness plans,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “Projects like these funded through the Provincial Resort Municipality Initiative fund demonstrate how government,

communities, and business can work together to protect the health and safety of all British Columbians and visitors.”

Resort Municipality Funding is managed by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. The program supports small, tourism-based municipalities to build and diversify their tourism infrastructure, deliver exceptional visitor experiences and incorporate sustainable tourism practices and products. 

For further information, please contact Fire Chief, Rick Prasad at 250-427-3473 or by email at rprasad@kimberley.ca.