APEGBC Welcomes Earthquake Preparedness Report

BURNABY, BC--(Marketwired - March 26, 2015) - The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC (APEGBC) welcomes the recommendations of the BC Earthquake Preparedness Consultation Report released today. They are an important step in helping British Columbians better prepare for an earthquake.

As the regulatory body for engineering and geoscience in BC, public safety is APEGBC's first priority. APEGBC appreciates the opportunity to provide input to the report and to work with others to bring the appropriate engineering knowledge and experience to the table.

"BC's professional engineers and geoscientists are uniquely positioned to provide world class expertise in the areas of earthquake safety and technology," said Ann English, P.Eng., CEO and Registrar for APEGBC. "We look forward to continuing to work with government, industry and academia to keep British Columbians safe."

APEGBC is pleased the report acknowledged that in the long term, there is a need for "enhanced hazard risk and vulnerability analysis, and for increasing the availability of emergency management risk data." With the assistance of government and together with UBC, APEGBC is leading the development of award winning guidelines for the seismic assessment and retrofit of existing buildings and post-earthquake evaluation protocols that will ensure the right technical information is available to analyze the stability of a structure after an earthquake. These tools will provide first responders with the ability to triage and focus post-earthquake response in a timely fashion, resulting in a faster and more effective recovery.

As a partner in advancing earthquake preparedness, APEGBC looks forward to continuing to work with government to enhance public safety, and to implement new technologies and guidelines that can help us prepare for an earthquake and cope with its aftermath.

Founded in 1920, APEGBC is the regulatory and licensing body for the professions of engineering and geoscience and is charged with protecting the public interest. With over 29,000 members, APEGBC is one of the largest professional associations in BC and maintains high academic, experience, and professional practice standards.