Fire / Evacuation

The fire chief determines whether to call a partial or full evacuation of Piers Island. An alert may or may not precede an order to evacuate.
PARTIAL EVACUATION
What do I do in a partial evacuation?
     Follow the chief’s instructions as relayed by the Emergency Program.
FULL EVACUATION
How will I know to evacuate the island?

• If registered you will be contacted by the Public Alert Notification System (PANS)
• If you have Alertable set-up for Piers Island, you will receive notification
• You may hear a continuous siren or a loud hailer alert (there are designated boat operators with loud hailers).
• You may receive an email or Slack message.
• You may see a posting on the Piers Island Website or the SGI Emergency Program Facebook and Twitter sites, or you may hear information on CFAX 1070.

What should I do?

• Gather family and pets. Bring “grab and go” bag with personal items.
• Turn on cell phone. Take phone and charger.
• Proceed by boat away from Piers Island.
• No boat or dock? Go to nearest Piers dock. Wait for pickup.

Where should I go in a full evacuation?

• Off-island home of self, family or friend or to a Reception Centre on the Saanich Peninsula.
• If you require support (e.g., lodging, food, incidentals) you must apply at the Reception Centre.
• For the location of the Reception Centre check email, Slack, social media websites or the compound for notice.

​How do I register as an Evacuee?

• Whether you need support services or not, it is good to register as an evacuee.
• Self-register using BC Services Card app or using a browser to access the government Evacuee Registration and Assistance service (ERA) tool (https://ess.gov.bc.ca/ )

​         If you register using your BC Services Card, you would be eligible for e-transfer for funds to cover emergency expenses
         eligible under the Emergency Support Services program.

• Go to the Reception Centre (RC). Once registered, you can receive referrals or e-transfer (if registered with BC Services Card) for food, lodging, clothing and incidentals, as needed

How will I know if authorization has been granted for a return to Piers?
Check the following:

• Websites 

​          Piers Island Emergency Program Facebook 
          (https://www.facebook.com/PiersIslandEmergencyProgram/)
​          Southern Gulf Islands Emergency Program  (SGIEP) Facebook 
          (https://www.facebook.com/SouthernGulfIslandsEmergencyProgram/ )

• Reception Centre
• Parking compound for a notice
• Email and/or Slack