31 - Sunday, Marci 5, 1989 - North Shore News

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PAGE 33

NORTH SHORE Rescue Team (NSRT) leader Ross Peter-
son has been appointed as the new coordinator of the North
& West Vancouver Emergency Program (NW VEP}.

Ross, 48, succeeds Jeff Jefferd,
58, who retired in November after
holding the position for a decade.

Said North Vancouver City Ald.
Barbara Sharp, the chair of the
NWVEP: “Mr. Peterson brings to
the position of coordinator of the
North & West Vancouver
Emergency Program 2 _ consider-
able amount of experience in areas
of administration, emergency
planning and public education."’

Peterson will continue as NSRT
leader until May. He first joined
the rescue team 10 years ago.

Said Peterson: ‘1 was first in-
volved with the team on a Seymour
search. I just went up and volun-
teered my time. They said, ‘Follow
us and don’t do anything stupid.’’’

He didn't, and he has led the
team, which is the volunteer wing
of the emergency program, for the
past three years.

One of Peterson’s first
challenges as emergency program
head will be to coordinate the im-
plementation and testing of the
three municipal emergency pro-

grams.

“*All councils have passed
bylaws, but there is still final work
to be done on the details, such as
putting together resource lists.
There is an immediate need to en-
sure the coordination of the three
municipalities in the event of a
major disaster,’’ Peterson said.

He expects the plans wili be at
least tested on paper this year, with
field testing of disaster response
procedures to follow.

Equally high on the priority list

By MICHAEL BECKER
News Repor ler

is the need to step up disaster
planning information programs for
locat schoo}s and_ residents.
“Homeowners need - reat deal
more information on how to take
care of themselves for at least the
first 72 hours after a major
disaster," he said.

Said Ald. Sharp: ‘‘Although we
have not officially approved these
objectives, we hope to have the
North Shore better prepared for a
disaster by testing emergency
operating centres; public awareness
of earthquake preparedness; hav-
ing evacuation plans in place in
order to assess our capability for
evacuation; and a needs assessment
of North Shore rescue team
equipment and training.”

Peterson holds a Master of
Science degree from UBC and has
over 25 years experience in
resource planning and manage-
ment. .

In 1972, he worked with the
federal government as a private
consultant in planning the first
West Coast oil spill contingency
plan and risk assessment for the
federal government.

He has also worked as a panel
member for the Federal En-
vironmental Assessment Review
Office for hearings and planning
for resource and transportation
development in the Fraser-Thomp-
son corridors of B.C.

The NWVEP is responsible for

coordinator named to
local emergency program

coordinator Ross Peterson.

emergency planning and coordina-
tion of emergency and disaster
services on the North Shore and
provides support for its volunteers.

fn conjunction with the Provin-
cial Emergency Program and
Emergency Preparedness Canada,
the NWVEP also provides
emergency response training,
public information and assistance
where possible during and follow-
ing a disaster or emergency.

“NEWS photo Tom Burley

NORTH VANCOUVER City Ald. Barbara Sharp, chair of the North and West Vancouver Emergency Program
(NWVEP) executive committee, shares the emergency program command centre with newly appointed NWVEP

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