The City of Vancouver has designated 25 sites across the region as disaster support hubs as part of its earthquake preparedness strategy.

City officials say the hubs will “empower Vancouverites to work together,” as well as coordinate rescue efforts in the event of an emergency.

“After a major disaster strikes, neighbourhoods and communities that organize to help and support each other are often the first to recover,” said Daniel Stevens, director of emergency management, in a statement.

The sites were chosen because they are either at or near places where people can gather outside if buildings are damaged. Twenty-three of the locations are community centres, one is a library, and the other is downtown’s Oppenheimer Park.

Yellow signs have also been installed at all disaster support hub locations.

It’s not just earthquakes the hubs will be used for: the city plans to use them for cooling centres during heat waves, warming centres during extreme cold, lodging for residents after a house fire, and in case of chemical or gas leaks.

The hubs will allow communities to better coordinate response efforts, the city adds, as well as facilitate the sharing of supplies, resources, and information, and will help families reconnect after a disaster.

“Disaster Support Hubs help enable a community-led response to take place,” Johnston said.

The magnitude 4.3 quake that rattled B.C.’s south coast at the end of December 2015 highlighted the need for earthquake preparedness.

A plan released by the province’s Emergency Management branch earlier this year estimated a shallow 7.3-magnitude earthquake underneath Vancouver would kill roughly 10,000 people and injure another 128,000.

Given how tied up emergency resources would in a worst-case scenario such as that, officials strongly urge the public to plan to take care of themselves for the first 72 hours, at least.

Some of the government’s advice includes that families have a plan for where to meet and how to contact one another in the wake of a disaster.

People should also have an emergency kit ready with at least two litres of water per person, per day, food that won’t spoil such as canned goods and energy bars, a crank or battery-powered flashlight, a first aid kit and other items.

For more information about the disaster support hubs click here.

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