Disaster Response Routes

What is a Disaster Response Route?

A network of pre-identified municipal and provincial roads that can best move emergency services and supplies to where they are needed in the event of a major disaster. Emergency planners and transportation engineers from all levels of government have cooperated to identify these routes. Public awareness and cooperation is necessary to keep these Disaster Response Routes clear following an earthquake or other disaster, in the interest of saving lives and protecting property.

Disaster Response Route Video

Disaster Response Route Video produced by GVRD
(Streaming Video. Length: Approximately 4.5 minutes)
(Note, you will need Windows Media Player to view this video.)

When are Disaster Response Routes activated?

Disaster Response Routes are activated only as needed to meet the demands of an emergency or disaster situation. Only required routes are utilized and only for as long as needed.

Why do we need Disaster Response Routes?

Fire, police, ambulance, repair crews, emergency and life-saving equipment; services and supplies must move quickly to where the greatest need is…and mobility is the key. Road access from one area to another, from airports and ports, must be kept clear of non-essential vehicles and debris. It could be you they are coming to assist!

When a disaster strikes, please STAY OFF the Disaster Response Routes!

Look for the signs that have been posted on the Disaster Response Routes in your area. STAY OFF THOSE ROADS WHEN A DISASTER STRIKES and LISTEN TO THE RADIO AND TELEVISION for public service announcements regarding specific routes and what they are being used for. Be prepared to find other routes if you must be on the roads during those times when the disaster response routes in your area have been activated.

What to expect

The Disaster Response Routes should be the first roads to be cleared. Emergency responders and police will control access to Disaster Response Routes and in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the routes will likely be limited to emergency needs. As soon as possible, the public will be allowed back onto the Disaster Response Routes. In some areas, specific Disaster Response Routes could be reserved for speedy delivery of supplies from ports or nearby airstrips, or for organized medical evacuation to unaffected hospitals.

Where are the Disaster Response Routes?

Click here to view the map page.

Who can use a Disaster Response Route?

Designated responders have been issued with placards identifying them and their vehicles. This will allow for quick identification at checkpoints and permit the efficient movement of required resources to where they are needed most.

More than just roads…

Planners are now working on an integrated multi-modal Disaster Response Route network that includes designated municipal and provincial roadways, marine connections along the Fraser River and Vancouver harbour, the Lower Mainland rail network and air facilities. The result will be a comprehensive transportation network that will give emergency response authorities a variety of intermodal options for moving personnel and resources around the Lower Mainland in emergency situations .

Not an Evacuation Route

Many people believe these signs identify an evacuation route which people would use to leave an area. Not true. Disaster Response Routes are required for the movement of responders and resources for emergency or disaster response. The designation of Disaster Response Routes means other roadways can be utilized for non-emergency traffic, commuting, or the unlikely event of an organized evacuation. Disaster Response Routes are NOT evacuation routes.

A dedicated route for emergency responders in a disaster situation... planning ahead for a rapid response... to you and your family.

You Need to Know

Learning to recognize the signs, and learning the Disaster Response Routes in your area, is one important step you can take to get ready for an earthquake or other disaster.

For more information contact your municipal emergency co-ordinator as listed in the blue pages of your phone book, or visit: http://www.pep.bc.ca for emergency planning information on the Provincial Emergency Program's Internet Website.

EComm Centre

EComm is a newly formed corporation that will serve as the consolidated centre for emergency communications in Southwest British Columbia. The corporation is housed in a state-of-the-art, post-disaster building that will survive through an emergency situation in order to facilitate all aspects of public safety.

For more information about E-Comm, visit the web site at: http://www.ecomm.bc.ca

Information for Responders

Overview of multi-model approach to Disaster Response Routes
Part One Part Two
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Disaster Response Route Guidelines for Users - 34 KB PDF

Disaster Response Route Map with Proposed Muster Zone Locations - 2.7 MB PDF

Distribution of DRR Identification - 22 KB PDF

Information for Planners

Principles of Emergency Transportation Routes - 46 KB PDF