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Allan Stanko Appointed To Post Of ESSA Regional Representative For The Southwest Coast

February 15, 2005

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - The Emergency Social Services Association [ESSA], has announced the appointment of Allan Stanko, of Vancouver, B.C. to the position of Regional Representative for the Southwest Coast Region, effective immediately. This will be Allan's first term as ESSA Regional Representative for the Southwest Coast region.

The communities Allan supports in the region are: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Lions Bay, New Westminster, North Shore, Port Moody, Richmond, Simon Fraser University, Squamish, Sunshine Coast, Surrey, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and Whistler.

Allan has been a member of the local Vancouver Emergency Social Services (ESS) team for over two years and is also an active member of the Vancouver Personal Disaster Assistance (PDA) team. Allan is a facilitator for the Introduction to ESS course and he has received training in Reception Centre Operations. Allan is also employed with the Ministry of Human Resources, which plays a key role in ESS.

In Allan's spare time he enjoys family company, hockey, softball, home and garden work and sitting in the hot-tub.

Allan will be holding a regional meeting once a year, as well as informational and/or educational seminars for ESS volunteers.

ESSA is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to support ESS volunteers and communities by providing education, awareness and networking opportunities to assist them in the development of their ESS plans for response to an emergency.

EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES ASSOCIATION

The responsibilities of an ESSA Regional Representative include supporting ESS volunteers in their region by maintaining regular contact with ESS Directors, Emergency Coordinators, Ministry of Human Resources staff, Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) regional managers, ESSA headquarters, and other volunteer response agencies in the region. ESSA Regional Representatives also coordinate educational seminars for ESS volunteers, convene annual meetings of ESSDs, alternates and key emergency response personnel in their region, promote ESSA membership, and provide quarterly reports for ESSA's quarterly newsletter, mESSAges.

Emergency Social Services are defined as those services that are provided short-term (generally 72 hours) to preserve the emotional and physical well being of evacuees and response workers in emergency situations. They include setting up Reception Centres for evacuees, food services, lodging, clothing, family reunification, emotional support, and other services necessary to support evacuees' and responders' immediate health and well-being. The ESS Program Office in Victoria, a branch of the Ministry of Human Resources, oversees the delivery of ESS in British Columbia.

There are more than 5,000 ESS volunteers in the province who are registered with the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) to provide ESS response in communities throughout British Columbia. ESSA represents the majority of those conscientious citizens through their community's membership in the organization.

Direct Contact: Allan Stanko,
E-Mail: allan.stanko[at]gems3.gov.bc.ca

Fast Facts:

• ESSA's primary source of funding comes from the Ministry of Human Resources, through the Ministry's ESS Program Office, and from fees paid by member communities throughout the province.
• ESSA communicates with its members through a newsletter, mESSAges, which is published on a quarterly basis and distributed to ESS volunteers throughout the province free-of-charge.
• Each year, ESSA offers a variety of seminars and workshops to support the work of ESS volunteers.
• ESSA organizes and hosts an annual meeting of ESS volunteers in each of the Provincial Emergency Program's (PEP's) six geographically designated regions of the province.
• ESSA has nine Regional Representatives in the six PEP-defined regions of the province who carry out the Association's mandate at the community level.
  Registered under the Societies Act of B.C., ESSA is governed by a volunteer board of directors consisting of ten elected members.
• ESSA has two paid staff members: Executive Director, Joan Smulders, and an Executive Assistant, Kerry Evans.
• Website: www.essa.ca
• Emergency Social Services (ESS) Program with the Ministry of Human Resources is a volunteer-based emergency response program, providing basic needs to people affected by an emergency or disaster.
• When people in our community are forced from their homes due to an emergency, ESS volunteers step in to provide basic needs, such as food, clothing or lodging. Emergency Social Services are available for 72 hours immediately following the emergency, allowing affected residents the time to make more long-term arrangements and begin the recovery process.
• ESS team members train throughout the year in preparation for disasters, volunteering not only their time and energy but also their expertise.
• Emergency Social Services has 5 staff members: Director ESS Program, Jeff Cornell, Coordinator of Volunteer Services, Maggie Grant, Program Administrator, Cheryl Venn, Program Assistant, Christine Ritson and Provincial ESS Coordinator, David Tomaz.
• Emergency Social Services (ESS) Toll-free contact number: 1-800-585-9559.

Please note: A current photo of Allan can be electronically emailed to any media outlet upon request.