The Interior Health Authority has taken the preliminary steps to develop a response to extreme heat in the future.
Medical Health Officer Dr. Sue Pollock says the IHA has been working with Health Canada on the emergency heat response system.
Dr. Pollock says Ashcroft which has among the highest temperatures in B.C. is a candidate for such a plan. That’s because there is a gap in understanding heat response planning in smaller communities.
“A couple of examples of response activities might be increasing access to drinking water like your water fountain,” she said. “[Another] is having available cooling centres.”
“So these might be community centres or public spaces in the community where they have air conditioning ready, where people can gather during these extreme events.”
Ashcroft Council has expressed an interest in working with the IHA on a heat response project in 2019.