Red Cross B.C. Disaster Response Centre- Canadian Red Cross

Red Cross B.C. Disaster Response Centre

The frequency of natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding and forest fires is increasing around the world and in Canada. In all of these circumstances, the Red Cross must be prepared to respond effectively to minimize the impact on families and communities.

To improve our capacity to respond, the Lower Mainland Region has completed major upgrades to its Disaster Response Centre - a multi-faceted, highly functioning response centre will be able to field thousands of calls daily to meet client needs during disasters of all sizes. The new centre will be an optimal working environment for our volunteers and staff ensuring exceptional productivity.

The Centre includes six distinct sections, each playing a critical role in an emergency activation.

The Centre will house the latest equipment to ensure strategic communication within the Centre and to Red Cross field operations throughout the province.

Command Centre

Disaster leadership volunteers and staff will meet here to determine the best possible course of action for the response in consultation with government and other emergency relief agencies.

Volunteer Resources Centre
(sponsored by the John Hardie Mitchell Foundation)

Enormous effort goes into coordinating the activities of hundreds of disaster volunteers. This area will have the technology to schedule and track volunteers’ skills and availability in an accurate and efficient way.

TELUS Red Cross Call Centre (sponsored by TELUS)

The TELUS Red Cross Call Centre will be the first point of contact for disaster victims seeking help and community members offering support. The TELUS Red Cross Call Centre provides critical information to clients on when and how to evacuate safely, and where to find their loved ones if they become separated during an evacuation. Volunteers will also ensure clients receive the most up-to-date health and safety instructions, advice and referrals.



	Featuring digital technology and new web page programs, the TELUS Red Cross Call Centre will be able to process 10,000 calls per day during a disaster, doubling its current capacity. The new equipment will enable volunteers to monitor call volume, wait times and quality of service.

Worker Care/First Aid Room

This space will provide a sanctuary for volunteers to debrief or to have time away from the fast-paced, often stressful work of providing services during a disaster.

Family Reunification Centre (sponsored by Canadian Direct Insurance)

This area will provide volunteers with a confidential work space enabling them to reunite families as quickly as possible. When Red Cross is not responding to disaster, the area will provide essential meeting for planning, training, debriefing and research.

Training Centre (sponsored by the Vancouver Foundation)

The hi-tech Training Room will support the orientation and training of hundreds of volunteers that will work in the Disaster Response Centre. This multi-purpose space will be equipped with a soundproof, retractable wall to tallow the set up of a second call centre and media area.

Seismic Upgrade

Prior to starting work on the internal renovations and completing the installation of new technology, the building must be brought up to “post-disaster” standards by completing advanced seismic upgrades. An upgrade that meets post disaster designation means that the building will survive a major earthquake, structurally intact with building operations continuing uninterrupted including heating, ventilation, lighting and plumbing. Construction of all areas to the new B.C. Disaster Response Centre was completed in December 2006.

Timeline

The upgrades to the Disaster Response Centre began in September 2005 with much work being done on construction, planning and design. TELUS has installed their new CallCentreAnywhere technology and provided new telephones and computer equipment. Training of staff and volunteers on their new software programs began in March 2006. Renovations and installation of the innovative technology in the other sections of the Response Centre will start in April. We look forward to the completion of all areas of the new Disaster Response Centre in November 2006. Visit the photo gallery for the latest construction updates.