Following the tsunami warning issued Tuesday morning, Sooke mayor Maja Tait believes now is a good time for the community to have a larger conversation about preparedness for emergency situations.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of concern right now that people donB次元官网网址檛 know what to do in those types of situations,B次元官网网址� said Tait. B次元官网网址淚 know our fire department has held many open houses regarding emergency situations, but they were fairly poorly attended. So maybe now itB次元官网网址檚 a good time to talk about preparedness because itB次元官网网址檚 fresh in everyoneB次元官网网址檚 mind.B次元官网网址�

Tait said some residents have complained saying Sooke should have the same emergency sirens that Port Renfrew or Victoria has, and that people should have been better notified.

She agreed that Sooke does need a better way notifying people, but doesnB次元官网网址檛 know if the tax increase that would come with buying sirens, which can cost up to $500,000 or more, is something residents would be comfortable with.

B次元官网网址淢aybe we could look at other notifications that could be more cost effective for the time being,B次元官网网址� said Tait. B次元官网网址淏ecause even if we did have the sirens for the incident on Tuesday, they still wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have gone off.B次元官网网址�

Sooke Assistant Fire Chief Matt Barney said the department is happy with the way things went, as they were taking directions from the Navy and making sure they had the right information.

He said if the wave height warning would have gone above what their protocol was, they would have started notifying and evacuating people.

B次元官网网址淚f we thought it was a direct threat then definitely we would have acted on that. But from the initial information that we got, the wave wasnB次元官网网址檛 any bigger than some of the waves we get when itB次元官网网址檚 storming outside,B次元官网网址� said Barney.

Barney added that the department was prepared and was patrolling the areas that could have potentially been affected. They also talked to people who were outside in those areas and let them know what was going on.

B次元官网网址淚 know a lot of people are thinking B次元官网网址榃ell why didnB次元官网网址檛 you let us know?B次元官网网址�, but why would we wake people up at 2 a.m. to tell them thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing happening. We didnB次元官网网址檛 want to put people in a panic that they didnB次元官网网址檛 need to be in.B次元官网网址�

Tait said she also had people asking where she was during the warnings, but said she was on a need-to-know basis with responders, who were updating her as necessary.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not my role to be there, I would have been in the respondersB次元官网网址� way,B次元官网网址� said Tait. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 just on stand-by to sign off in the state of emergency, should that happen.B次元官网网址�

Tait said it is obvious that Sooke needs more information about emergency situations, and now is the perfect time to talk about it.

Sooke Fire Chief Kenn Mount will be giving a brief regarding the incident at council on Monday, and following that, council plans to discuss ways that residents can be better notified and more prepared for emergencies.

For now, people can sign up for , which sends out notifications by text, phone and email of major emergencies or disasters that may impact Greater Victoria. The CRD also also has a public alert system for our area, which people can sign up for at .