B.C.’s disaster support programs ill-equipped for changing climate: Ombudsperson

British Columbia’s Ombudsperson says programs to help people affected by natural disasters are outdated and in need of a revamp as climate-related emergencies become more common.

A report released Tuesday revealed findings from a case study into the province’s response to the 2021 wildfire season and devastating flooding as the result of an atmospheric river in November of that year.

The study looked at the government’s Emergency Support Services (ESS) and the Disaster Financial Assistance (DFA) program. The former provides food and accommodation for up to 72 hours for people who are displaced after a disaster; the latter provides support to people who are uninsured or underinsured who are displaced.

Related Stories: 

• Permanent emergency response team promising, if done right: UBC expert

• Canadian ministers vow to accelerate action at global environment conference in Vancouver

• Feds considering changes to disaster relief payments to provinces

Ombudsperson Jay Chalke says the two programs are not able to keep up with the demand that they have seen in recent years.

“This model cannot be sustained. Building capacity into the system is vital to build the resilience and long-term effectiveness of these programs,” he said in a news conference Tuesday.

Chalke said the programs fail to address the “unique needs” of those who rely on them.

“A person who was a caregiver of a family member with dementia had a very different experience waiting in a line for hours on end to access emergency support than the person in line ahead of them might have had,” he explained.

“Equity needs to be built into that process, a one-size-fits-all approach that we’ve seen in the past in terms of emergency support is short-sighted and doesn’t do nearly enough to meet the needs of a diverse public that is trying to serve.”

The Ombudsperson said that of those who needed the ESS program in 2021, 90 per cent needed more assistance than the 72-hour allotment.

“It’s a stark reminder that many of our programs are not built for today’s climate reality, and not just by a small margin, but for the vast majority of people. They needed support for longer,” said Chalke.

Further, Chalke said the administration of these programs is done by volunteers using paper-based record keeping.

The province needs to step up, modernize these two programs, and put additional resources in place to ensure people are treated fairly and equitably during extreme weather events,” he said.

Shortly before the Ombudsperson report was shared Tuesday, the B.C. government sent a release outlining new legislation aimed at improving the province’s disaster management response. This includes a task force made up of 14 experts in emergency and wildfire management that will provide “action-oriented recommendations on enhancing emergency preparedness,” ahead of the 2024 wildfire season.

Chalke says he’s concerned that the things laid out in the legislation will take too long to be implemented. However, he says he’s encouraged that the province has accepted all 20 recommendations laid out in his report.

“We’ll be monitoring the government’s implementation of those recommendations in the months and years to come,” Chalke said.