By Andrea Clayards, City of Merritt Clerk Typist.
In BC, local governments lead the initial response to emergencies and disasters in their communities. Planning and preparing for efficient and effective response to emergencies is key in mitigating disaster.
The City of Merritt recently hired Krista Minar as the new Emergency Management Coordinator. This role requires extensive knowledge, training, and experience in first response, emergency management, and fire safety.
Krista Minar joined the Merritt Fire Rescue Service as a paid-on-call firefighter in 2017. Her firefighting and emergency services career path began in Jasper, Alberta, where she was a volunteer firefighter. In Merritt, Krista was previously contracted as the Firesmart Coordinator and most recently employed as the Fire Life Safety Educator, providing public education about fire safety.
As the Emergency Management Coordinator, Krista will work to update existing emergency response plans, policies and procedures and ensure that the City has the capacity to respond through enhanced training and technical resources. Fire education and Firesmart programming will continue to be part of Krista’s responsibilities.
The City received two grants from the Province of BC through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund this year. The Emergency Management Coordinator will oversee the completion of the work proposed in each of these grants. The Evacuation Route Planning project will define evacuation routes and modes of transportation for all areas of the City. The Emergency Support Services project will improve efficiency and capacity through increased digitization and practical technical training for ESS volunteers.
