Burnaby is developing a new earthquake strategy

The City of Burnaby has begun developing a new strategy and framework to prepare the city for future earthquakes. The city has begun the first phase of the project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.

The project, known as Burnaby Strategies and Actions for Earthquake Resilience (B-SAFER), will be implemented in five phases.

According to a report submitted to council on November 4, B-SAFER will be “a city-wide framework that takes a comprehensive approach to address shocks, such as earthquakes, stressors, including vulnerabilities, such as aging infrastructure, and capacity challenges such as systems, response and recovery capabilities, and investment.” In risk reduction to build a roadmap towards comprehensive organizational and societal disaster risk reduction for seismic events.

According to the report, the city aims to use scientific and technical evidence to develop disaster risk reduction policies and change its infrastructure and systems to reduce the city's exposure to severe earthquake damage.

The first phase, which has begun, will include identifying stakeholders, conducting interviews and qualitative research.

Charmaine Pflugrath, the city's emergency management coordinator, told the Beacon that the city is currently working to identify stakeholders and knowledge keepers.

“We expect they will include staff from all city departments, host First Nations, neighboring jurisdictions, response and support agencies, provincial ministries, NGOs and community partners, and members of the public,” Pflugrath said.

The city will present the project internally early next month and will leverage comments and suggestions from staff gathered during the project launch and vision meeting to compile a list of stakeholders, Pflugrath said.

“Engagement activities will be designed to understand the values ​​affected by seismic risks in the community and region; assess current capacities in mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from potential disasters; and explore opportunities and gaps in individual, organizational, and community resilience.

The city will consult with host First Nations to create the framework and has already sent referral letters to them.

“The B-SAFER project was intentionally designed to connect Indigenous knowledge and traditional stories, emerging scientific research, vulnerability data, and community input,” Pflugrath said.

Burnaby City Hall, one of the buildings the city has already identified as needing seismic upgrades. Image: Shutterstock

The second phase of the project will build on the initial data inventory and gap analysis from the first phase to decide what hazard and risk data the city will collect, Pflugrath said. The project team will then use OpenQuake Engine, an open source software, to assess seismic hazards and risks. The team will also use additional data specific to Burnaby, such as natural assets and microseismic zoning mapping. The project team will then identify and collect information about the vulnerability of people and assets.

The team will then run multiple scenarios using the OpenQuake Engine software.

“Earthquake scenarios will help illustrate a myriad of 'risk assessment themes', populations disproportionately at risk, geographical hotspots of risk across the city, specific types of housing at risk, potential impacts on critical infrastructure and related systemic impacts, And potential vulnerabilities are “within the first responder community,” Pflugrath said.

For the regional assessment, which will include transportation systems, upstream and downstream interconnections, and critical third-party infrastructure, “we will rely on data available within Canada's National Seismic Hazard Model.” Pflugrath added that engagement with neighboring municipalities, participating First Nations, and other relevant agencies and organizations will allow Confirms and validates sources and methods of data sets, as necessary.

The project team will also develop “earthquake resilience indicators” which will take into account any resources a community has to help it withstand in the event of an earthquake.

“This will include an evaluation of things like insurance availability and uptake, social cohesion/isolation, quality of emergency preparedness plans, and first responder and urban search and rescue capabilities,” Pflugrath said.

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