AS the fire season continues to develop in British Columbia, RCMP resources from across the province are being deployed to assist communities that are being most affected.
“Fortunately, to date, our deployment of resources has remained less than what was required last year. RCMP employees, specialized services and equipment are being sent to assist RCMP detachments in the communities that have been directly affected by wildfires, particularly within Central, Northern, and Southern BC,” said Deputy Commissioner Brenda Butterworth-Carr, Commanding Officer of the BC RCMP, on Wednesday.
The resources people may encounter include vehicles, supplies and additional officers to help man checkpoints as required, or to simply provide relief to local detachments.
“While officers are being deployed to affected regions, core policing duties in the communities they originate will be maintained without interruption. To support these efforts the BC RCMP Division Emergency Operations Centre has been activated in order to coordinated resource requests, logistics, planning, and support services including safety and wellness of our employees,” said Butterworth-Carr.
As wildfire conditions across the province will vary, the BC RCMP asks that everyone that is subject to an evacuation order or alert, or is travelling by checkpoints to exercise caution and patience.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure the safety of all people in affected areas. We would encourage all people to drive safely and follow the directions of the emergency personnel,” said Butterworth-Carr.