Ordering an emergency evacuation of all or part of an area is a very serious step. Detailed planning is needed for an evacuation. In British Columbia, the Emergency Program Act (1993) permits the head of a local authority to declare a State of Local Emergency. This allows the local authority access to the extraordinary emergency powers of the Emergency Program Act and order an evacuation if it is absolutely necessary. There are several other statutes that can be used to order an evacuation:

Evacuation Procedures

The evacuation procedure normally follows three stages:

Definitions

State of Local Emergency

This is a temporary emergency authority measure authorized by the Emergency Program Act. A declaration of a state of local emergency has to be initiated by either a local government bylaw or order and is valid for a period of seven days.