Emergency responders praised by city council

Emergency officials have done a great job responding to localized flooding the last few days, city politicians say.

Several Kelowna councillors took time at the end of Monday’s meeting to praise the work being done by firefighters and other emergency responders to deal with flooding along Mill Creek, at the north end of Duck Lake and on the Westside.

Coun. Gail Given, who is also head of the Central Okanagan Regional District, said the response was “quite phenomenal,” with people working as a team without regard to jurisdictional boundaries.

“It’s one team in that centre. Nobody defines whose community is rated ahead of the other. It’s one operating team that delivers very effective and very efficient services to our community.

“I know there’s always concern that we can’t get to as many places as we need all at the same time, but I think that’s what’s achieved by the co-ordination of the (centre) really is in the best interests of the citizens,” Given said.

“It was a stressful weekend for a lot of people and I think it kind of snuck up,” Coun. Ryan Donn said. “A huge thank-you to everybody involved, both the community members who rallied, the public who jumped aboard to help and all the staff at the emergency operations centre.”

Mayor Colin Basran said: “We are doing everything we can to make sure our residents are safe and infrastructure is protected.”