PHOTOS: Inside Abbotsford’s emergency operations centre

• Our story on Mt. Baker, and the problems climate change poses for flooding from the Nooksack

• Our story on how to get, and give, help during this crisis

• Our story on the potential for more flooding from the Nooksack River this winter

• Our investigation into the failure of the Sumas dike, and the reasons other levees are doomed to fail in the event of an even worse flood from the Fraser

• Our comprehensive story on the challenges Fraser Valley dairy farmers are facing

• Our comprehensive story on the history of Sumas Prairie, Sumas Lake, and the Nooksack River

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On Friday (Nov. 26), Abbotsford city hall was vibrating with activity. The hall is now home to the city’s emergency operations centre, and on Friday staff and volunteers were busy preparing for the deluge that has now caused wide-spreading flooding across the city for a second time.

The centre is activated in a state of local emergency to provide direction and support to the city’s emergency activities. Mayor Henry Braun and other elected officials or senior executive officers (such as the fire chief or police chief) form a policy group that acts as the head of the centre. Together, they work with government agencies and private organizations to handle the community’s emergency situation.

Overall, the centre is responsible for emergency policy and coordination, as well as communications, risk management. It also coordinates operations between jurisdictions, handles emergency logistics for evacuees and others, and handles both the financial and administrative aspects of a crisis.

Current editor Tyler Olsen was inside the city’s Emergency Operations Centre on Friday. This is what he saw.

All photos by Tyler Olsen

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