Roy L Hales/Cortes Currents - United Way British Columbia awarded an Emergency Preparedness and Response grant of $25,000 to Quadra Circle.
“We're pretty excited about it. We are a group of various social service and community organizations on Quadra,” said Maureen McDowell, President of Quadra Circle.
Quadra Circle’s 'Better at Home Program,’ the Quadra Island Neighbourhood Emergency Preparedness Program (NEPP), Quadra Island Seniors Housing, Quadra Legion Branch 154, Quadra ICAN, Old Age Pensioners and the Quadra Island Medical Clinic are all involved.
“On Quadra, we have a very good Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness Program. There are volunteers in each neighborhood who know who the more vulnerable people are, and are able to reach out to them and see if they need help. They would plug us into those seniors if the seniors are willing to accept some extra help, or equipment in their homes. So we can make stronger, more efficient use of those resources that we have already in a more coordinated way.”
“We'll have a coordinator, at least for this project, who will help us take those action steps and make sure that all the systems are operating together and sharing information.”
McDowell said the situation was already on their minds, “Especially during the heat dome. Then in the winters when it's been extra snowfalls and power outages combined with storm after storm, after storm. We've certainly seen how difficult it is not for ourselves, as younger seniors, but especially for those who have more health problems or are more frail, can't get out, don't drive, whatever. They are really in a very stuck place that can put their life in health at risk.”
The B.C. Chief Coroner’s Report found that 67% of the 619 decedents during the recent heat dome were 70 years old or older. Most lived in homes without adequate cooling systems, such as air conditioners or fans. More than 60% had seen a medical professional within a month of their death.
“I do know of one situation where the person was very, very ill and when there was a request to find a fan, there was no fans left to be bought anywhere and the person did pass away. The heat played a big factor in it at the time. That’s the only one that I, personally, am aware of,” said McDowell.
“As islanders we do what needs to be done when an emergency comes up. We're already doing some of those things, but in some cases the financial resources to purchase equipment or to be able to coordinate and think ahead, et cetera. It's all been very add hoc.”
“The exciting part for us is to be able to work together with so many different community groups who are all doing good services, so that we don't overlap each other. We check in and know that somebody is helping Mary or Fred or whatever and it doesn't necessarily have to be Quadra Circle. It could be their friends, or their family, or their neighbourhood. It pulls the community together and in a way that maybe makes everybody, volunteers included, feel like they're making a contribution and giving back to the seniors in the community. Hopefully they know that they'll be able to get similar help when they need it and can't manage. I think that's the motivation for all of us that are working on this.”
Quadra Circle was already looking into the logistics of setting up a cooling or a warming center on Quadra, Cortes, or some of the Outer Discovery Islands. They were sudying the heat dome in particular and used this information to apply for the grant.
