On Thursday, September 21, representatives from a number of local emergency response and volunteer organizations gathered at Kal Tire Place to receive two banners that have been filled with messages of thanks from residents of Vernon and the surrounding area.
The banners were donated by Wayside to offer an opportunity for community members to express their gratitude for the emergency response work that was done during the Central Okanagan and Shuswap wildfires this summer, both on the front lines of the fires and through Vernon’s Emergency Support Services (ESS) Reception Centre.
For 15 days, Vernon’s ESS Reception Centre was in operation, during which time more than 2,400 people were assisted who had been displaced from their homes due to wildfire in West Kelowna, Kelowna, Lake Country, and their surrounding areas, as well as parts of the Shuswap.
The banners have now been donated to Vernon Fire Rescue Services and Vernon’s Emergency Program.