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Emergency Management
Unseasonably hot weather will develop over BC Interior beginning today. Timespan: Today through Tuesday. Hazards: Daytime highs rising into the low to mid 30's over the central and southern interior while northern regions will see temperatures reaching the mid to high 20s. Overnight and early morning lows are expected to be in the low to mid-teens. The BC Interior will experience unseasonably hot weather beginning today. The highest temperatures are expected from Sunday through Tuesday. Daytime highs will be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above seasonal values while overnight lows will be 5 to 10 degrees above what is normally experienced this time of year. Freezing levels will rise throughout this event leading to increased snowpack melting with possible local flooding due to high stream flow levels. With elevated temperatures, the risk of heat related illnesses will increase. While the developing heat conditions may result in daily temperature records being broken, it must be emphasized that the expected hot conditions will not approach those reached during the "Heat Dome" of late June 2021.
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August 3, 2022
City of Revelstoke Media Release
Campfire Ban Taking Effect
Revelstoke · BC – Effective noon Thursday August 4, 2022 a prohibition on all open fires within the municipality of Revelstoke will commence, in alignment with the provincial prohibition. This prohibition will remain in effect until the public is otherwise notified. A map of affected areas is available here.
This open fire prohibition is authorized by Fire Protection and Prevention Bylaw No. 1772 sections 5.03 (j.) (k.) and (l.).
In addition to campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires - the following activities are also prohibited:
- fireworks;
- sky lanterns, burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description;
- air curtain burners;
- binary exploding targets;
- tiki and similar kind torches; and,
- the use of chimineas, outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved
During the provincial open fire prohibition the use of propane fueled campfire pits, barbeques, campstoves, and briquette barbeques are permitted but must be supervised at all times while in use.
To report a fire within the City of Revelstoke, call 911 immediately.
To report a wildfire 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 on a cell
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For Further Information Contact:
Mayor Gary Sulz, 250-837-2911
Steven DeRousie, Fire Chief, 250-837-2884
Friday, July 21, 2022
City of Revelstoke Media Release
Extreme Heat Event Preparedness
Revelstoke, BC –
An Extreme Heat Event, defined as 35 degrees celsius or hotter over two consecutive days AND more than 18 degrees celsius at night, can trigger a variety of heat stress conditions.
The City of Revelstoke would like to inform residents and visitors that the Revelstoke Community & Aquatic Center, located at 600 Campbell Ave, will be open during daylight hours as a cooling station for those seeking relief from an extreme heat event.
Information on staying safe and healthy during an extreme heat event can be found at Beat the Heat and Prepared BC Heat Guide.
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Revelstoke Fire Rescue and BC Wildfire are aware of a small fire burning on the west side of Upper Arrow Lake above Mulvehill Creek and Blanket Creek Provincial Park. This fire currently does not present as a threat to Revelstoke or any known structures in the area.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
The City of Revelstoke is prepared and ready to staff an Emergency Operations Centre Level 1 should the need arise.
Friday, July 23, 2021
In times of crisis, it is important residents have access to trusted, timely and accurate information to ensure their own safety and that of their family and loved ones. In response to this need, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District, which operates the Shuswap Emergency Program, has chosen Alertable as an emergency notification program.
This program will serve the Columbia Shuswap Regional District's Emergency Programs including:
Revelstoke and Area Emergency Program (RAEMP)
- CSRD Electoral Area B
- City of Revelstoke
To view CSRD Media Release and Sign Up CLICK here
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Given the events around the province in the past few weeks, the questions and concerns from the community regarding what to do in the event of an emergency are understandable. It can become confusing very quickly when there are multiple agencies giving various versions of information. The City of Revelstoke has a well established Emergency Response Plan that contains a wide variety of identified potential risks to the community and provides guidance to address an appropriate response to those risks should they occur.
Providing the public with emergency response instructions today, when an event has not occurred could result in confusion. Every incident is different and requires some adjustment to the pre-planning to ensure that our emergency response approach is as effective as possible. In the case of a wildfire, our directions would vary based on the location and severity of the fire. For example, the actual conditions may not require evacuation of the entire City. It could be dangerous to pre-emptively provide guidance to the public on where to evacuate to without that guidance being directly associated with an existing emergency situation as the actual conditions may require a different instruction to be given. In some cases, it may be necessary to establish a reception centre. (mustering point) The reception centre would be established in a safe location based on the actual event and directions given to evacuated residents to register there. Evacuees would be provided additional and relevant information then or subsequently as it becomes available to the City.
In regard to alerts and notifications for local emergency events, the City's existing Emergency Response Plan has an established Communication Plan that is carried out by a designated Information Officer in the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). That person then uses all available methods to inform the public of details specific to the emerging incident, and to provide a clear and consistent message. The City’s Emergency Management Team has been working with CSRD to bring an EMERGENCY ALERT system up to date for Revelstoke and Area residents. Once this is available, the City will provide advice on how to sign up to receive local emergency alert information. At this time, the Federal Alert Ready system is restricted to Federal, Provincial, and Territorial governments (ie. the Province of British Columbia use only), although it’s possible this may change in the future.
Vulnerable and non-driving residents are typically the first to be addressed at the earliest stages of an evacuation alert to address the time lag. The various agencies that support this population on a day-to-day basis are usually the best resource to assist the EOC in planning and they would be called upon as appropriate. There are many inter-agency connections that exist to address these concerns, however, the City will always encourage people to help look out for their family, friends, and neighbours that may need assistance. Again, if an incident only affects a portion of the city, the City would not order the entire community to evacuate when they are not affected. The city does have access to busses and other transportation resources in the event these might be required, both for in town and out-of-town transport.
The City recognizes that most of the answers come back to “it depends”. This is because while communities can prepare and plan for certain trigger points, actions that need to be taken for any given incident always depend on the most up-to-date information related to the standard questions: what, where, when, who, and how? When an incident or certain type of incident occurs that threatens a population, the community's Emergency Response Team needs to evaluate the known risks and consequences to effectively execute necessary steps to protect life and property. The City would like to reassure the residents that there is a well established Emergency Response Plan specific to Revelstoke that provides clear guidance for responding appropriately to a wide variety of potential risks. This Plan can and will be activated anytime it is deemed to be necessary and can be utilized to respond to and mitigate both small and large emergencies.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021 : Emergency Information - Staying Informed before and during a local emergency event
Emergencies can happen at any time with little to no warning. Are you ready? By knowing the hazards, gathering supplies, and having a plan, you may be able to protect the health and safety of yourself and others.
View Media Release
Be Prepared
If your property is under an Evacuation Order or Alert - CLICK HERE for information
Emergency Preparedness links and resources:
While the City’s Emergency Management Team is working in real-time to address threats to the community, it is important that residents do what they can to be prepared. Follow three steps to Emergency Preparedness at home or at work:
PreparedBC (Province of British Columbia)
Get Prepared (Government of Canada)
Wildfire Prevention
We’re in this together. Wildfire prevention can happen at home, in the backcountry, and through larger-scale fire and fuel management planning. Learn what you can do to help. Click here for more information.
Wildland-Urban Interface Fire
Research has shown that a house with both a fire resistant roof and a FireSmart zone surrounding it is 85 percent more likely to survive a wildfire than one that is not so prepared. Click here for more information.
Roles and Responsibilities
The City of Revelstoke actively works with the province through Emergency Management BC (EMBC) to prepare for and respond to emergencies that occur within the City and Columbia Shuswap Regional District Area B. If the need arises, the City will activate an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) which will coordinate the response efforts for the impacted areas. The EOC liaises with external agencies to gather and disseminate the most accurate and relevant data this includes evacuation updates and Emergency Support Services. The City will work to keep residents informed about Emergency Support Services (ESS) available to evacuees and information about best practices.
There are no current alerts and/or orders this time.
Mass Notification System Alertable has been implemented.
Be Safe - Be Informed - Be Involved in Your Community
During an emergency, it is important for residents to have access to timely and accurate information to ensure the safest outcome for all. In response to this, Revelstoke and the Columbia Shuswap Regional District Area B are using Alertable as our emergency mass notification system.
Alertable is a communication service used to send emergency alerts to residents, businesses and visitors during critical events, such as fires or floods. It provides many options to receive notifications including text, email, phone, website, mobile app, social media, home smart speaker and more.
Notifications are fast, reliable and easy to see and hear. You can personalize your alerts by type and severity. You can also choose notifications for more that one location.
Registration is anonymous, and no information is shared or used for marketing or data-harvesting purposes. Location information is only used to determine proximity to an alert event.
July 23, 2021
Effective immediately, residents and visitors can sign up to receive direct notifications through a variety of options including a mobile app, text, email, phone website or home smart speakers.
We encourage everyone to use this program to stay aware of the most up-to-date information on hazards, restrictions or closures. Downloading the mobile app is the recommended option for using this system, as it has the best access to notifications, especially when travelling. The mobile app also allows users to access Drive BC and Environment Canada weather alerts.
This program will serve the Columbia Shuswap Regional District's Emergency Programs including:
Shuswap Emergency Program
- CSRD Electoral Areas C, D, E and F, the City of Salmon Arm, the District of Sicamous
Revelstoke and Area Emergency Program (RAEMP)
- CSRD Electoral Area B, City of Revelstoke
Golden and Area Emergency Program (GAEMP)
- CSRD Electoral Area A, Town of Golden
Alertable is free for the public to use. It is a highly rated mass notification software that is made in Canada and used in more than 1,000 Canadian communities. Notifications are fast, reliable and easy to see and hear. Users can personalize notifications by type and severity and can opt in for multiple locations. Registration is anonymous and a strict privacy policy applies.
When subscribed, all critical-level alerts will be issued for the areas you have specified. Advisory-level alerts can be customized by the user to suit their needs.
For more information and to sign up, visit www.csrd.bc.ca/alertable
July 22, 2021
The City’s Emergency Management Team has been working with CSRD to bring an EMERGENCY ALERT system up to date for Revelstoke and Area residents. Once this is available, the City will provide advice on how to sign up to receive local emergency alert information. The Alert Ready system is currently restricted to Federal, Provincial, and Territorial governments (ie the Province of British Columbia use only).
In case of an emergency, call 911
The emergency program is operated under the Revelstoke Fire Rescue Service.
Revelstoke Fire Rescue Service, 227 Fourth Street West, Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0
Business Hours: |
Monday to Friday 0800hr - 1600hr |
Non-Emergency number: 250-837-2884
Email: fire@revelstoke.ca
*In the event of a local emergency with an established Emergency Operations Centre, further contact information will be provided.