The Emergency Support Services (ESS) Program is a Provincial Program for local government and Indigenous governments to deliver services to the public in their community if displaced by an emergency or disaster – such as Fire, Flood, or Earthquake.
Displaced residents, due to an emergency, may be eligible to receive support for lodging (commercial lodging or billeting) clothing, and food (in the form of groceries or restaurant meals) for up to 72hrs.
The ESS Program in Abbotsford is coordinated by an ESS Director and is delivered by a group of dedicated, highly trained volunteers. These volunteers are on call 24/7 during all seasons and weather conditions. On average, the ESS volunteers give over 1500 hours in responding to calls for help and training. The team responds to an average of 23 emergency events and supports an average of 500+ people per year.
The ESS team is also trained to support other Provincial Emergencies outside of our local community. They also support the delivery of Public Education in the area of Emergency Preparedness within our Community.