CHAPTER 2 Essential 1: Institutional and Administrative Framework
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“North Vancouver is setting a high standard for communities across Canada, and has become a model at engaging municipal and federal government and the private sector in the promotion of a resilient approach to disaster risk reduction,” said Vic Toews, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, when the District of North Vancouver received the United Nations-Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction, in 2011 (the award was shared with San Francisco, Cebu, Philippines and Santa Fe, Argentina). North Vancouver has incorporated risk reduction criteria into its official community plan, strategic planning, and development permit processes, and has instituted early warning systems for landslides and debris flows. The jury for the UN-Sasakawa Award says the District “demonstrates capacity for challenging, absorbing and producing technology, traditional knowledge, new knowledge and products, and innovative practices.” “This international recognition is evidence of the work by the professional staff who serve the citizens of North Vancouver District, the leaders and many volunteers of the North Shore Emergency Management Office, and all agencies dedicated to the public safety needs of their community. It is something our entire community can take pride in,” said North Vancouver District Mayor Richard Walton. “The work is ongoing as we continue to seek best practices and learn from the experience of communities around the world.” Read more at: www.nsemo.org/, www.getprepared.gc.ca/, http://tinyurl.com/d4m85ry.