The Really Big One

[Kirkhill]

I don't see how you can reasonably build an effective plan to rescue 4,000,000 bodies, stuck in the mud, in a period of 72 hours with a part time force of 1500 bodies scattered hither and yon, equally stuck in the mud and lacking in personal communications.

And why would you think about sending in another 20,000 mouths to feed if all they can do is stand around in the mud with the locals?

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

US Army Corps of Engineers would be all over it, we don't need to worry.

 

[Kirkhill]

US Army Corps of Engineers would be all over it, we don't need to worry.

Might they not be busy south of the border?  I'm sure Seattle would be calling for their caffeine fix.

 

[OldTanker]

A major earthquake in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island would require a major, coordinated and long-term national response. The CF would only be part of that response, albeit a critical part. I'm not sure anyone outside a small group of professional emergency planners in BC really appreciates the scale and scope of damage a major earthquake would cause. And forget relying on the US military. What hits Vancouver will likely have hit Seattle and the rest of the Pacific Northwest. Canada is woefully unprepared for this event.

 

[mariomike]

For anyone interested, more discussion here,

The Really Big One 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/119880.0
OP: "So, how are we doing with respect to earthquake preparedness CF-wise?"
2 pages.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Relevant due to highlighting the issues in the PRes.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3241545/six-month-military-operation-would-follow-major-b-c-earthquake/

Operation Panorama link from the article: https://shawglobalnews.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/a-2016-00922.pdf

I've said it before on here that this is the new reality of the PRes, the fact that all it would take is an earthquake and the scattered PRes of BC would be cut off from higher HQ, or even attempting to notify troops should worry people.

Let's not kid ourselves it will be the US military that responds initially in force to help us, the Canadian military will take up some of the slack later.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Let's not kid ourselves it will be the US military that responds initially in force to help us, the Canadian military will take up some of the slack later.

This was my point earlier in the thread.  US Military has infinite more times capability than we do.  Our plan probably isn't worth the paper it's printed on.  The entire CAF would need to be mobilized and deployed to BC if this earthquake was Japan Tsunami scale.

 

[daftandbarmy]

This was my point earlier in the thread.  US Military has infinite more times capability than we do.  Our plan probably isn't worth the paper it's printed on.  The entire CAF would need to be mobilized and deployed to BC if this earthquake was Japan Tsunami scale.

Cool... then I'm going to build a giant earthquake proof Tim Horton's, Copenhagen and porn store in Victoria and make a fortune...

 

[Kirkhill]

Cool... then I'm going to build a giant earthquake proof Tim Horton's, Copenhagen and porn store in Victoria and make a fortune...

Advice to an outsider D&B:  When I feel the ground shaking should I run up hill to get away from the tsunami or down hill to get away from the mudslide?  [

 

[daftandbarmy]

Advice to an outsider D&B:  When I feel the ground shaking should I run up hill to get away from the tsunami or down hill to get away from the mudslide?  [

As you're in Alberta I'd recommend staying put, donning your NBC suit and mask, then wait in the bunker for the mushroom cloud (from some kind of gigantic fossil fueled explosion) to dissipate before pushing the nearest dead red neck from behind the wheel of his giant truck and heading for Kamloops

 

[mariomike]

B.C. Earthquake Immediate Response Plan
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/provincial-emergency-planning/irp.pdf

The Government Operations Centre, upon notification of a catastrophic earthquake affecting Greater Vancouver or Greater Victoria, will immediately coordinate the request and movement of HUSAR teams, both domestic and international, for deployment to B.C. The Province will also employ mutual aid agreements, such as the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement (PNEMA), with neighbouring states for HUSAR support. The Province will control, coordinate and prioritize the deployment of all civilian HUSAR assets within B.C. based on local authority and First Nations needs assessment.

Contingency Plan PANORAMA: Canadian Armed Forces Joint Task force Pacific’s response plan for a catastrophic earthquake in Southwest British Columbia or Southern Vancouver Island area.

Department of National Defence – Contingency Plan PANORAMA
Following a catastrophic earthquake event affecting southern Vancouver Island and/or the Greater Vancouver area, Joint Task Force Pacific (JTFP) will assess the situation and, if required, activate the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) regional Contingency Plan (CONPLAN) PANORAMA – which is the CAF regional response to a catastrophic earthquake effecting B.C. Engagement with civil authorities will occur early and at multiple levels to determine how and where military forces will be best engaged in immediate response activities in support of the Province.
CONPLAN PANORAMA is linked to and integrated with other CAF regional and higher level plans. Combined, these plans detail actions of the CAF units, bases and formations in B.C., and the reinforcement of JTFP with other high readiness CAF elements throughout Canada. Reinforcement will occur through a combination of pre-planned deployments and through the Request for Assistance (RFA) process.

Canadian Armed Forces JOINT TASK FORCE PACIFIC (JTFP)
• Establish contact and liaison with the PECC/PERRC
• Establish contact and liaison with all PREOCs
• Local units/bases/formations to establish contact and liaison with local authority EOCs
• Report status of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in B.C. and response actions
• Within capability, reinforce first responders to provide initial actions to save lives
• Conduct reconnaissance and contribute to JOA situational assessment
• Provide personnel and equipment to augment provincial response
• Provide personnel to augment the PECC/PERRC operations on request
• Commence preparations for receiving CAF reinforcements from outside the JOA
• Commence preparations for receiving US Military reinforcements under the Civil Assistance Plan (CAP)

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I would mobilize all the tugs and barges that survived to be the transportation network across the inlets and rivers until the remaining bridges are certified safe to use. Transport Canada will need to suspend certain requirements to make that work, in fact having someone who can tell regulating busybodies to piss off and others to get off their ass will be a key component in resolving any such crisis.

I would also make it a requirement for a city permit for food trucks and carts for them to report as soon as possible after a major disaster to a primary or secondary location to help feed survivors. That location to be posted on the truck/cart so they know where to go.

 

[Remius]

I would also make it a requirement for a city permit for food trucks and carts for them to report as soon as possible after a major disaster to a primary or secondary location to help feed survivors. That location to be posted on the truck/cart so they know where to go.

I'm pretty sure that food carts and trucks don't carry a lot of inventory on hand beyond a day or two.  Plus I suspect they'll be busy looking after themselves. 

 

[mariomike]

Hopefully, federal funding of Vancouver HUSAR CAN-TF1 will continue.

From 2012,

Feds cut funds to Vancouver urban search and rescue team
http://bc.ctvnews.ca/feds-cut-funds-to-vancouver-urban-search-and-rescue-team-1.799127
Vancouver's fire chief was caught off guard this week when he learned that the federal government had cut funding to the city's urban search and rescue team, a crucial resource in case "the big one" hits.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

It's more the cooking facility, basically the bigger trucks are flying kitchens. Many won't make it, but the city already has emergency hubs set up, having them setup there and cook food as provided for the survivors will ease the burden on the civil authorities and get clean safe food into people. The problem with people in the West is that if you gave them cooking oil, baking powder, sugar and flour, the vast majority would not know what to do with it. Most 3rd world types would actually do better in the initial stages of a disaster, than first world types in my opinion. 

 

[Remius]

It's more the cooking facility, basically the bigger trucks are flying kitchens. Many won't make it, but the city already has emergency hubs set up, having them setup there and cook food as provided for the survivors will ease the burden on the civil authorities and get clean safe food into people. The problem with people in the West is that if you gave them cooking oil, baking powder, sugar and flour, the vast majority would not know what to do with it. Most 3rd world types would actually do better in the initial stages of a disaster, than first world types in my opinion.

Of course.  Most of those places are self sufficient in that sense.  You live in a shyte hole before it's just a bigger shyte hole than before.

Our creature comforts make us less self sufficient.  The ice storm showed us that here.  People burning their houses down or poisoning themselves with fumes as they barbecued in their kitchens. if the effect on the city had been longer and worse I shudder to think what would have happened.  The rural areas at least had some people fending for themselves having generators, pumps, tools and the know how to keep themselves going (for a few weeks in some cases).

I think though what we do have over those 3rd world locales is the ability to get things running again, more efficiently and quicker.   

 

[Colin Parkinson]

True the initial bit will be harder, but things will sort themselves out sooner and attention to important details like Public health and Hygienic will be there preventing a lot of disease related issues.