For 25 years, the citizens of Langford have been able to count on the support of the cityB次元官网网址檚 Emergency Support Service (ESS) when they fall victim to house fires or natural disasters.

Throughout those 25 years, there has been the constant presence of Beverly Wilson. In fact, LangfordB次元官网网址檚 ESS was spawned out of a series of questions Wilson asked, which kept escalating.

B次元官网网址淚t was just simple questioning to the principal of my kidsB次元官网网址� school, then follow-up phone calls to Langford to see what would happen in an earthquake,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲ith enough questioning, Langford realized we needed a plan, since nothing had really been done. It was the infancy stages of emergency preparedness everywhere.B次元官网网址�

By 1996, the organization was officially up and running, and Wilson said it got off to a slow start, with only a few people signing up to volunteer. On Dec. 29 of that year however, a massive snowstorm hit the region.

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For Wilson, that meant living in the Langford fire hall with another volunteer for five days, helping those who had been caught out in the storm. In the aftermath, however, ESS received a flood of people looking to either volunteers, or learn how they could prepare for the next emergency.

There are two main sides to what an ESS does in its community. Teaching people about emergency preparedness is one, the other is the actual response to emergencies. Langford ESS co-director Margaret Stevens said volunteers are called out to any emergency situation, such as house fires, floods and earthquakes, where the people affected are in need of the basic necessities of life.

B次元官网网址淲e respond to the needs of evacuees for their first 72 hours,B次元官网网址� Stevens said. B次元官网网址淚f an apartment building burns down in Langford, the fire chief would (call ESS) so we can register those people and take care of them with food, clothing and shelter.B次元官网网址�

If people are still in need after those 72 hours, she said, ESS can either ask the province B次元官网网址� which funds ESS organizations B次元官网网址� to authorize an extension of their support, or they can request another agency such as the Canadian Red Cross take over support efforts.

On Nov. 27, both the organization and Wilson were recognized for their quarter-century of community service, which meant she added to her service pin collection.

B次元官网网址滻B次元官网网址檓 amazed 25 years have gone by and it is still going,B次元官网网址� Wilson said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really proud of how Langford has held on. Over those 25 years, I have seen so many teams just dissolve. ItB次元官网网址檚 a lot of work and it is all volunteers.B次元官网网址�

Asked how long she plans on staying involved, Wilson said she hopes to earn her next pin at 30 years at the very least.

B次元官网网址淚t started as kind of a hobby, but now it is a part of me.B次元官网网址�

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