Preparing for an Earthquake and Tsunami
Nanaimo, B.C. – In the event of a major earthquake and a resulting tsunami, there is no time to plan how millions of people on Canada’s West Coast will receive medical care, food, water and other supplies. Last week’s 7.8 earthquake in Turkey demonstrates the power of seismic events to radically alter daily life. This is why Ken Welte and his wife and business partner Laura felt honoured to be recruited for the provincial emergency exercise: Coastal Response 2023, which ran from February 7–9.
“Our roles were logistics—we practised moving medical, first responder, ambulances, vehicles, and first aid supplies into the province and around the Lower Mainland,” Ken says. He was stationed at the St. John Ambulance emergency office in Saanichton near Victoria and coordinated with a team in Vancouver.
Over the years, Ken and Laura have volunteered on Search and Rescue (SAR) missions and led young Air Cadets on skill-building, multi-day hikes. Ken has offered First Aid services at community events, and, in 2022, he became certified to drive a Mobile Post for St. John Ambulance (SJA) and obtained his Medical First Aid Responder certification.
Their extensive skills in the field combined with their business experience made them exceptionally well-suited to contribute to the Coastal Response exercise.
When asked what he enjoyed about this volunteer experience, Ken replies, “Being able to make a larger affect and help in a wide-spread emergency. We bring our business administration experience and, as SAR members, we have a better understanding of how small groups are effective.”
Numerous organizations, including SJA, along with local, provincial, federal and First Nations agencies, must be prepared to act immediately and deliver their unique skills in a coordinated way. This exercise was an essential practice.
To connect with Ken, visit: http://weltegroup.com.
Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 6,500 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide. To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com. To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.
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Sutton Group - West Coast Realty (Nanaimo):
Ken Welte
250–751–5630
weltegroup@gmail.com
Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd.:
Maria Castro
604-691-1689
stories@suttonspirit.com