I wanted to take a moment and thank the incredible efforts of BC Wildfire Service for their outstanding and dedicated effort to help keep our communities safe during these immanent threats of wildfires popping up all over our province. Sadly, this has become the norm for our beautiful province, and all over the globe, with weather patterns causing surges of threats year round, due to climate change.
Fires, floods, earthquakes, tornados, sinkholes, volcanos, hurricanes and Tsunamis (just to name a few), are becoming more frequent and more intense as our climate changes and global temperatures rise. Thankfully, so many advancements have been made and are continually being made, with how we respond to these events, monitor these events and setup advanced warning systems to provide precious time to seek shelter, safety and prepare for what may be coming.
As my family sits, waiting next to the border of the Evacuation Alert between our community and the Shetland Creek Wildfire, we are obviously anxious yet, we have maintained positivity for our children's sake, even though we have our belongings packed by the door, issuing a constant reminder to us all, that we may have to leave abruptly with the possibility of not being able to come back to anything. This is difficult for anyone and especially to those that have been through this horrible ordeal before and have lost everything or have close friends or family that have lost everything.
Sadly, during this frightening time, as I'm sure you have experienced and are quite aware, there are some that find the need to raise an uproar on social media regarding improper response times and the lack of use of resources and methods by the wildfire service, blaming government conspiracy of letting the country burn, spreading misinformation and generally causing unrest, anger, and hateful speech to those of us that defend the Emergency Services, along with needlessly attacking or blaming people for their political views (just on assumption).
As we have stayed close to our phones and social media and alert apps for any news of the looming threat, this is what we have been reading - posted by members of our community and surrounding ones. They do not post the question of who needs aid, shelter, food clothing, transportation and such in the evac and alert zones of their fellow community members - just an angry attack and spew of hatefulness and disgust of why fires are not put out immediately upon their start and how none of us would be in this predicament if they would just do their jobs properly or better, or how the government is purposefully letting this happen because, it's all a money game and "they" don't care about smaller communities as only the big cities pay their incomes. No, their immediate concern is to try to grow their possie of hate and frustration during this time to put an immediate end to this "needless slaughter".
I beg the emergency services teams to please ignore the ignorance of these people. Yes, these are some of the few of whom you are trying to help protect but, there is a time and place for them to voice concern or question the why's, what's and how's of your jobs and fellow co-workers but, this is definitely not the time as their own community and many others in the province are in need. The spread of panic and distraught needs to be kept out of the current equation. Their lack of understanding of the why's and how's can be dealt with when the threat is no longer, and when we know we are all safe. They can then have their time to voice their concern and be educated on the methods used, the why's and how's answered, and what steps can lead to any improvement going forward.
And just to clarify, they don't hate the ground crews, they hate your team of leadership and decision makers (and apparently the government with all Liberals and NDP'ers), as it seems, in their eyes, if the ones who make the call at the time had just sent out a full force response of when the fires initially started, there would be no threat to the communities whatsoever. But, that is all they look at. They do not see the amount of resources and what they entail to get ready or pull from other locations, they do not see the remoteness of the fires, they don't see the 27 other lightning strikes starting fires in the surrounding areas at the same time, they don't see the the local human started grass or home fires during this time or other emergency services needed during this time, and they don't see the province or country wildfires burning elsewhere that need aid. They also do not see a need for a Triage - to deal with immediate threats first, nor, as an example in our situation, do they see that all the other surrounding fires that occurred during the lightning strikes of the 12th/13th ended up being contained very quickly thanks to immediate action. They focus on the one that couldn't be contained that now loomed close to their community a week later. By their logic, any wildfire that starts should and can be put out immediately but, they are chosen not to be, by the powers that be, and they are simply left to burn as the threat to smaller communities is of no immediate concern like a city would be.
As you are already aware, there are the many of us who know better and refuse this ugly path. We choose to support decisions made, understand the threats, methods, acts and bravery of the entire wildfire services team. You have witnessed us donating food, coffee, clothing, showers, beds and shelter from the heat, as well as, emotional support to you and community members and property offered out of the fire zone to house affected cattle and farm animals. So very many, like our family, have posted prayers for your safety, other communities safety, offer endless thanks and praise for all that you do to protect us, from the very beginning.
The actions taken by ground and flight crews risk their very lives, for us, while at the same time, others make life saving decisions through the understanding and experience of the nature of wildfire and types of preventative and best course actions. All of you do an amazing job, action for countless hours with no rest, put your lives on the line day in and day out, weigh the impossible decision but go with your gut, understand what may be at stake and do everything in your power to make sure you hold the line... that is why you are our heroes everyday and always! We can never thank you enough! #StaySafe
Komentar