Collaboration key to EQ preparedness: government

Earthquake preparedness demands taking steps now to build resilient communities that can better withstand and recover from the impacts of natural disasters and other emergencies, Steven Blaney, Canada’s minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, emphasized during a speech in Vancouver October 15.

Speaking at an earthquake symposium hosted by the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Blaney called on all levels of government, industry, academics and the public to work together on earthquake preparedness strategies.

“Canada’s evolving approach to emergency management means our government is shifting from a reactive model to one that allows us to better identify risks related to natural disasters, and to take steps to eliminate or reduce these risks and their impacts before a disaster strikes,” the minister noted.

As part of the Economic Action Plan 2014, the federal government has earmarked $11.4 million over five years for Natural Resources Canada to upgrade the earthquake monitoring system, including more advanced technologies that provide timely public alerts in high-risk and urban areas. Ottawa has also committed to providing $200 million over five years, starting in 2015-2016, to better protect Canadians and their homes through a National Disaster Mitigation Program.

In related news, Canadians don’t generally believe a major earthquake here is imminent, and many are misinformed about how potential damages from such an event would be covered, according to a recent poll commissioned by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

Those Canadians living in areas most vulnerable to earthquakes believe that the danger is at least 50 years away, the poll results suggest. The survey included roughly 2,000 residents of British Columbia and the Ottawa-Montreal-Quebec City corridor, and was conducted in the spring of 2014 by Pollara Strategic Insights. More than two-thirds of respondents to the poll said they don’t have earthquake insurance (or don’t know if they have it), and awareness of earthquake insurance was particularly low in the Quebec region.

“Preparing Canadians for this type of major disaster is a strategic priority for our industry,” said Mary Lou O’Reilly, senior vice president of issues management and communications in a statement on the poll findings. “But before we can help those living in the most vulnerable regions, we need to know what they are thinking. When do people think an earthquake will happen? Are people prepared – both physically and financially – to deal with an earthquake? Do consumers have earthquake insurance? Why or why not? And what are their expectations around insurance coverage?”