LOOKING FOR A BRITISH COLUMBIA "LIAISON"
I would like to establish contact with a resident of British Columbia who would like to assist us with a BC perspective and relevant news that affects BC as applicable to emergency preparedness and self-sustainability. I want to discuss municipal and area emergency programs, procedures, agencies, applicable Canadian laws, emergency concerns, experiences, evacuation plans and available materials and assets for our neighbors just over the border. This information would be compared and contrasted and (hopefully) meshed with WA State, and shared with the group as a whole. If possible, I'd like to have this person come to Whatcom County to meet and participate in person in an array of functions as well. We are neighbors who share the same basic concerns and all have the common goal of taking care of ourselves and our families. We both live in the subduction zone and deal with potential and past natural disasters like earthquake, flooding, mudslides, winter weather, wildfires, potential volcanic eruption and so on, as well as various potential area man-made emergency situations.

I am the founder of the Whatcom County Preppers (WA, USA); a strictly non-political all volunteer non-profit organization that researches and teaches Emergency Preparedness and Self-Sustainability skills to the public. We have over 500 members on FB from Whatcom County, elsewhere in WA, out of state and out of country, to include BC and the UK. We have posted invites to meetings and functions here in the past. We just had a great BBQ/Potluck and enjoyed various prep and non-prep foods in the outdoors in a relaxed outdoor environment.

We participate in monthly in-person meetings, public events and perform workshops and classes on various relevant subjects and have just established a youth offshoot (Prep Scouts) to encourage and responsibly teach younger kids how to be involved in the emergency preparedness and self-sustainability process with their family. We are not angry, paranoid, hardcore or militant. We don't press or deny the ownership of firearms (as this is a personal choice), nor do we politically advocate for various issues of any kind. We DO press awareness. We are everyday people who want to take care of our families, and see preparation and education as a wise course of action in doing so. Established in 2011, we go against the negative stereotypes of "prepping" that unfortunately taint and create an aversion to the concept for many in the public.

We are recognized by APN, WPN, and ANTS, and have support in the community. We put on a great Canning and Food Storage Workshop in January to great success. We recently won second place in the Blaine Fourth of July Parade with our WCP float! As you can see, we are family and community oriented!

If you are interested in helping us in this area, we welcome you. I invite you to contact me.

Richard Martin
founder, WCP