Providing Emergency Support Services by appointment.
Jeff Norburn, the Director of Community Services, says that is basically what the city is doing as they are setting up a reception centre periodically.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), we were at the Arts and Recreation Centre and that’s normally where we would provide services to people but we don’t have fixed hours. If somebody has been evacuated when they get their evacuation order there is a telephone number on it. That will put us in contact with them and then we would make arrangements to meet with them to provide the services that they need.”
Norburn says there isn’t the demand right now to set up a staffed reception centre.
He says they have helped out 16 evacuees so far.
Norburn says it is a challenge right now to find accommodations for them.
“Because there is a big event in town this weekend, Billy Barker Days, and the hotels are largely booked we have very little, if any, hotel room capacity. So evacuees that are coming into town, if they need hotel accommodation, they’re being referred to Williams Lake for at least the next few days.”
Norburn says they can still provide other services.
“Our ESS volunteers can still provide services to people who have somewhere to stay in the Quesnel area, if they have friends or family that they’re staying with. We can provide them with billeting vouchers or if they have an RV and they’re staying in an RV campground, then we can provide them with grocery vouchers and we can cover the cost of the RV campsite.’
The Cariboo Regional District has issued Evacuation Orders for the Pelican Lake area, including Titetown, as well as for Teepee Lake in the Nazko area, and for the Townsend Creek area southwest of Quesnel.
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