Fraser Valley Regional District gets flood relief from veteran-led volunteer group

A group of volunteers made up of veterans and retired first responders are sandbagging and surveying the damage done by flooding and landslides in the hard-hit Fraser Valley Regional District.

Team Rubicon Canada was called into action when the regional district requested their help on Nov. 20. Since arriving, the team of about 15 has been “helping them find out where the damage is” which includes mapping hazards in areas that have been evacuated.

“You see people who’ve lost everything in some cases. Homes flooded, farms flooded. It’s quite heartbreaking,” says Incident Commander Ric Henderson.

“I’ve dealt with floods before but nothing on this scale. This is one that just keeps cascading — the event, within the event, within the event. It’s hard to really see the extent of the damage, but it’s huge.

Henderson says they plan to remain and help residents with the difficult task of cleaning up the wreckage.

“What we’re looking at in the future is — once the water goes down — helping people get on their properties, mucking out a basement, getting out debris,” he explains.

While most of the volunteers have military backgrounds or have worked in emergency services, Henderson says there are others who “don’t fit any of those categories.” He thinks a background in handling crisis situations, an a background in “incident management” are helpful, but what members of the team fundamentally have in common is the desire to show up and try to make a difference in a disaster.

“There’s nothing better than being able to help people, to help them get their feet back on the ground,” he says.

“People are volunteers so they come [during] the time that they have when they’re away from work, or some take vacation to get out here and do these things.”

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Jason Lum, the chair of the regional district, says he’s been grateful for the organization’s assistance.

“They have the expertise and specialized equipment to quickly assess damage to properties and put together a plan to help residents remove debris and muck from their homes when it’s safe.”

The non-profit is modelled on an American organization that was formed to respond to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010. The Canadian team’s first operation was after the Fort McMurray wildfire, sifting through the wreckage of 900 homes there to help people find valuables and keepsakes. After the Village of Lytton was devastated by a wildfire this summer, a team went there and did similar work.