Only six BCSTH staffers were courageous enough to descend the creaking steel fire escape from the fourth-storey office. The rest practiced escaping down an internal staircase. With wildfire season already upon us, emergency preparedness training felt timely. While a wildfire in downtown Vancouver is unlikely, staff at many of the Transition Houses, Second Stage Houses and Safe Homes around the province are considering the possibility more seriously. Increasingly, they worry about how they’d manage to safely evacuate and relocate women and children taking refuge with them if the order came.
Emergency Planning for Women’s Transition Houses and Supports Programs (WTHSP)
Emergency preparedness is more complicated for Women’s Transition Houses and Supports Programs (WTHSP) than a regular household or place of work, explains Louise Godard, independent contractor for BCSTH. In addition to evacuation, they also need to worry about their prime mission – providing supports and a refuge from violence.
“An emergency response needs to consider the safety and confidentiality needs of women with experiences of violence,” says Godard. ”Public evacuation centres aren’t safe if they’re bringing women back into contact with their abusers.”
Through funding from the Red Cross and BC Housing, BCSTH has been working to address these needs by developing an emergency management and service continuity (ESMC) program for the gender-based violence sector. Godard and colleague Lisa Benini, BCSTH contractor and business continuity expert, have focused on creating accessible risk-assessment tools and planning templates relevant to the unique needs of women’s transition housing programs generally, as well as in their regions specifically. Tsunamis make the list in coastal areas, for example, while wildfires are stronger possibilities around Prince George and the Interior.
Continuity Planning for Women’s Transition Housing Programs
In addition to ensuring everyone’s immediate safety, Transition Houses also have to think about continuity. How will they manage intake when the power is out for three days? Or keep residents well-fed if roads are closed to deliveries? Natural disasters may interrupt utilities, but unfortunately not the need for support.
“We know that violence against women, children, and youth will often escalate during and after disruptive events,” says Godard. “We saw this during COVID.”
That’s why a key part of planning for WTHSPs is calculating how they’ll continue to provide essential services after a serious disruption. Initially funded by the Red Cross in 2023, Benini and Godard developed an eight-stage process for WTHSPs to determine how they’ll prepare, mitigate, and respond to emergency situations, as well as resume full operations. So far, with additional funding from BC Housing and BCSTH, they’ve delivered in-person trainings in BCSTH’s seven regions to 58 organizations and 124 staff members.
Making Do With Limited Resources
Godard notes that even though this comprehensive training is available, there are still significant barriers to implementation. First among them being time and resources. With Transition Houses often filled to capacity, it’s difficult to spare a staff member for two to three days of future planning around potential emergencies.
This is why Godard and Benini also developed an online portal where Transition House staff can go through the eight-stage process at their own pace. The comprehensive guide coaches continuity planners through assigning roles, stocking necessities, and saving crucial documents at off-site locations without compromising safety.
However, even if Transition House staff do find time to assess risks and estimate continuity needs, challenges remain. Stocking three to seven days’ worth of food, water, and emergency supplies for up to 100 people is expensive. Currently, there’s no funding available for emergency supplies. As well, it’s unclear how Transition Houses could physically transport large numbers of women and children to safety.
Cooperation Amongst BCSTH Members
To address some of these concerns, BCSTH developed a provincial memorandum of understanding (MOU) so that organizations can share resources in the event of an emergency. For example, a Transition House in a safe area might offer temporary accommodation, food, or other services to residents evacuated from an affected area. So far 23 BCSTH members have signed on to the MOU.
It’s clear that emergency planning for WTHSP is a tremendous amount of work – a daunting amount for Transition House staff to find time for amid their other responsibilities. At the same time, provincial and municipal emergency managers are also stretched, and haven’t typically included WTHSP or gender-based violence in their considerations. Effective emergency planning requires an integration of efforts across the sectors. However, little best-practice guidance exists on how to foster that collaboration or how to find additional time and money resources to do so.
Nevertheless, WTHSPs see the importance of doing this work and are getting it done.
“We know that everyone can be equally exposed to a hazard, but gender can impact an individual’s level of vulnerability and access to resources and services,” says Godard. “EMSC planning doesn’t historically take into account intersectionality and how people may be impacted differently. That’s what we’re working to change.”
ESMC Planning Support Available
BCSTH members who want support developing their ESMC plan can visit the online portal. For one-on-one guidance and/or to register your interest in signing on to the MOU, email Godard at louisegodard1@gmail.com.