Alerts For British Columbians In Advance Of Future Heat Events

British Columbians will be alerted in advance of any future heat events or emergencies, launched by the province one year after hundreds died from a summer 2021 heat dome.

British Columbians will be alerted in advance of any future heat events or emergencies, launched by the province one year after hundreds died from a summer 2021 heat dome.

The province announced its new response system Monday, with two levels: warnings and extreme heat emergencies.

Warnings, defined as a “moderate increase in public health risk,” will be triggered by different temperature thresholds throughout the province.

In the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, a forecast of two days or more of daytime highs of 29 C or higher and night time lows of 16 C or higher will prompt a warning. 

Health Minister Adrian Dix said warnings will allow individuals and local governments to prepare, whether that’s purchasing an air conditioner, checking on loved ones, or implementing cooling stations.

It will be up to local governments to have their own plans.

In early May, B.C. announced it would begin using the text alert system for floods and wildfires this year, but said at the time they still hadn’t determined the parameters for a heat warning to be included.

All emergency events will now also trigger the use of a new clinical safety plan by BC Emergency Health Services, which will guide them through extreme events with steps like reassigning staff to support high call volume areas, reducing turnaround time at key hospitals and using alternative transport options so ambulances remain free for life-threatening calls. They may also delay or temporarily stop lower priority interfacility transfers and mobilize non-frontline clinicians.

The province says it expects to issue heat warnings one to three times a summer, and extreme heat emergencies once or twice a decade.