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Engagement and Outreach to Ensure the Success of Canada’s Earthquake Early Warning System

Description: 

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is developing a national Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system for regions of moderate to high earthquake risk in Canada. The EEW sensor network will be focussed along the west coast of British Columbia, in eastern Ontario, and in southern Quebec. Canada’s EEW system will facilitate mitigation of earthquake impacts through advance notification of strong ground motion, allowing for timely and appropriate response actions by emergency measures organizations, critical infrastructure (CI) operators, other industrial facilities, and the public. For the EEW system to be effective, however, a culture of awareness is necessary to ensure appropriate protective actions are taken when alerts are received. This will be achieved through a substantial, coordinated public education campaign. NRCan is also hosting workshops and other outreach activities with CI operators to ensure they are aware of the benefits of installing systems which will automatically translate EEW alerts into protective actions, such as opening doors, sounding alarms, closing valves, stopping hazardous machinery, and halting trains. Similarly, NRCan is encouraging technical providers in Canada to develop such automated systems for the country’s various CI sectors.

NRCan is working with federal and provincial public safety organizations, private and international collaborative partners, and Non-Governmental Organizations, to ensure authoritative, consistent, accessible EEW messaging is available to the public and technical users. Additionally, NRCan contracted an Indigenous Communications Assistant to develop educational materials and engagement activities specifically for First Nations’ communities. With the ability of humans and automated systems to take safe actions before the arrival of potentially harmful shaking, the national EEW system will contribute to Canada’s efforts to meet the recommendations within the United Nations Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Session: Earthquake Early Warning Optimization and Efficacy [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/20/2023

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Alison L. Bird

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors