ESS is organized under the British Columbia Emergency Management System (BCEMS) and follows an incident command system (ICS) approach to response. Trained, often volunteer, responders deliver the core function of ESS. To deliver inclusive, culturally safe, and coordinated supports to evacuees, ESS teams are supported by several different emergency management levels.
There have been several improvements to made to Emergency Support Services in BC in the past year to modernize the system and ensure that people receive timely access to services in a disaster through updating legislation, policies, processes, training and the launch of the online Evacuee Registration and Assistance (ERA) tool.
With the use of ERA, the online system the Emergency Support Services provincial program the vision remains the same to meet the basic needs of British Columbians impacted by disaster by providing short-term support in a compassionate manner which is delivered by First Nations and Local Authorities.
During the event of an evacuation order, the Emergency Support Services (ESS) Reception Centre may be activated. The ESS Reception Centre is managed by the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), but volunteers from the community operate it to provide supports for evacuees.
Volunteer
Looking for a great cause to volunteer? The best time to prepare for an emergency is now! Become an ESS volunteer today by completing the form below and be ready to take action when our community needs it.
Volunteer Training Meetings
Regular meetings are held during the winter months for interested or established volunteers to train, review and improve the delivery of Emergency Support Services in Fort St. John.
Upcoming Meetings
- Thursday, February 6 | 6:30 - 8 pm | Pomeroy Sport Centre West Meeting Room
- Tuesday, March 11 | 6:30 - 8 pm | Pomeroy Sport Centre West Meeting Room
- Tuesday, April 22 | Activation Drill | TBA
Required Training
ESS teams across the province have streamlined the registration and referral proccess, transitioning from paper forms to online forms through the online ERA portal. If you would like to assist in a Reception Centre during an activation, visit the Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) website and sign up for the following course:
- NEW! JIBC EMRG 1635- Introduction to Evacuee Registration and Supports (ERA)
- A basic or personal BCeID is required to access the online ERA portal
In Person Training Courses
To register for these courses being hosted in Fort St John, email ess@fortstjohn.ca
Introduction to Emergency Support Services – EMRG 1600
- Date: Friday, March 7, 2025
- Time: 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- RSVP by: February 24, 2025
Level One Emergency Support Services – EMRG 1607
- Date: Friday, April 4, 2025
- Time: 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM
- RSVP by: March 13, 2025
Introduction to Reception Centres – EMRG 1610
- Prerequisite: EMRG-1600
- Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
- Time: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- RSVP by: March 28, 2025
Introduction to Group Lodging – EMRG 1612
- Prerequisite: EMRG-1600
- Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
- Time: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- RSVP by: April 9, 2025
Additional Suggested Online Training
If you would like to learn more, visit the Justice Institute of BC (JIBC) website and sign up for the following courses:
- JIBC EMRG 1600 - Intro to ESS
- JIBC EMRG 1607 - Level One ESS
- JIBC EMRG 1610 - Intro to Reception Centres
- JIBC EMRG 1612 - Intro to Group Lodging
- JIBC EMRG 1615 - Registration and Referrals
- JIBC EMRG 1622 - Evacuation Registration and Assistance (ERA) for Management