With inclement weather keeping the public away for the most part, members of emergency response teams from around the Capital Region were largely left to entertain each other Sunday at West Shore Parks and Recreation.

The annual Emergency Preparedness Fair, which showcases the work and abilities of emergency responders and their various support organizations, saw firefighters and rescue personnel from West Shore departments mingle with land search and rescue and marine rescue personnel from Sooke to Sidney in the upper parking lot.

The seventh annual fair focused on safety and the four pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

It also helped kick off national Emergency Preparedness Week, which is being marked by municipalities across the region and country through Saturday.

Inside the much dryer Juan de Fuca 55-Plus Activity Centre nearby, Ruth Reynolds sat in a mostly deserted mock registration centre. The director of Colwood and View RoyalB次元官网网址檚 joint emergency support services program talked about the slow, but steady progress being made in residentsB次元官网网址� disaster preparedness.

B次元官网网址淲e find more and more that people say, B次元官网网址極h IB次元官网网址檝e got that,B次元官网网址� when we offer them information,B次元官网网址� she said.

A major influence on people, in terms of getting them thinking about what they need, is their school-aged children, Reynolds added.

B次元官网网址淭he reason we donB次元官网网址檛 smoke is because of our kids. The reason we recycle is because of our kids. And itB次元官网网址檚 the kids who tell us about how to get out when thereB次元官网网址檚 a fire. If we can get the kids involved (in emergency preparedness), weB次元官网网址檝e got it made,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淎nd a few little earthquakes help, too.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com