Wildfire evacuees can now access a variety of support services at a resiliency centre that the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has opened in Kamloops.
The centre 含羞草研究社� at #3-700 Tranquille Road at Northills Mall 含羞草研究社� is open seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Dale Kronebusch, Recovery Manager for the TNRD, says the centre is open to anyone affected by wildfire evacuation orders, whether they live in the TNRD or not. 含羞草研究社淚f they含羞草研究社檙e evacuated, they can come here.含羞草研究社�
The centre provides a number of resources for people who have had to leave their home community and don含羞草研究社檛 know where to access things in a strange city.
含羞草研究社淧eople can connect with child services, and we can direct them to where to go to get a new passport,含羞草研究社� says Kronebusch. 含羞草研究社淭he Insurance Bureau of Canada is here, and they含羞草研究社檒l sleuth out who your insurance company is.含羞草研究社�
He adds that some insurance companies have representatives there with chequebooks. 含羞草研究社淭hey can start claims if you含羞草研究社檝e received damage, and if you have a clause for emergency funding in your policy you can leave with a cheque if your insurance company is here, and tap into that funding right away.含羞草研究社�
Service Canada is on site to start an Employment Insurance claim for anyone who needs that. Service BC is also at the centre, and there are maps to ICBC locations in Kamloops for anyone who needs driver含羞草研究社檚 licence and other services. 含羞草研究社淚f we get busy enough, ICBC will come here,含羞草研究社� Kronebusch adds.
Technical Safety BC is at the centre to help people whose electricity, propane, or gas services have been compromised, and health authorities 含羞草研究社� including the First Nations Health Authority 含羞草研究社� have representatives there to answer questions. There is also information about the FireSafe and FireSmart programs, which Kronebusch says is an opportunity to educate people about what to do if similar events happen in the future.
含羞草研究社淲e hope it never happens, but it含羞草研究社檚 a changing environment, and these things are starting to ramp up. It helps people be ready for next time.含羞草研究社� Recovery resources such as building permit packages will also be available, so that people can start their application and it can be fast-tracked to cut down on the length of the process.
Samaritan含羞草研究社檚 Purse and Team Rubicon representatives are on site. Both organizations help people find things on their property that survived a fire, and recover them for the owners.
Kronebusch says that a mobile resiliency team offering services will be deployed to locations around the province where evacuees are concentrated, to help them do a needs assessment of what needs to be done. Asked how long the resiliency centre in Kamloops will be available, he says 含羞草研究社淎s long as there are evacuees, we will stay open.含羞草研究社�
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