Emergency Support Services (ESS) provides short-term emergency support to British Columbians who are impacted by disasters. Assistance includes food, lodging, clothing, emotional support, and family reunification. ESS is a provincial program delivered on the North Shore by North Shore Emergency Management.
Evacuee Registration
The three North Shore municipalities – District of West Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, and District of North Vancouver – use an online provincial registration platform to register individuals who have been displaced from their home and are in need of Emergency Support Services.
The Evacuee Registration and Assistance (ERA) online platform is designed to streamline processes for evacuees so they may access services faster.
If you have been displaced from your home and need Emergency Support Services, you can register online prior to arriving at a reception centre. Once registered, proceed to a designated reception centre to receive supports. If you are unable to register online, you may still register in person at the reception centre.
Even if you do not require Emergency Support Services, you are encouraged to self-register online.
Pre-registering online reduces wait times, provides important information for evacuees to do and consider, and reduces administrative processing time.
If you require assistance with self-registration, call the Emergency Support Services Info Line: 1-800-585-9559
Reception Centres
Reception centres, sometimes referred to as evacuation centres, registration centres, disaster relief centres, or family centres, receive evacuees who have been forced from their homes because of an emergency or disaster.
Reception centres serve many functions and are also used as an information centre, a staging site for volunteer disaster relief workers, a site where insurance adjusters can operate, an emergency day care centre, etc.
Group Lodging Centres
A group lodging facility is a location designated by the local ESS team (i.e., North Shore Emergency Management), in cooperation with the local authority, which provides dormitory-style accommodation for people displaced from their homes because of an emergency or disaster.
Group lodging facilities are usually located in local community centres, school gymnasiums, arenas, etc. At a group lodging facility, individuals will be provided with a sleeping space, meals, and information about the emergency.
