1st sensor for Canada’s early earthquake warning system installed in B.C.

The first sensor for Canada’s early earthquake warning system, giving residents seconds’ notice before strong shaking begins, has been installed in B.C.

Officials announced Monday the sensor was installed in West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay in partnership with BC Ferries. The sensor is the first of about 400 that will be used to detect early waves in an earthquake.

Alison Bird, a seismologist and outreach officer with Natural Resources Canada’s earthquake early warning system, explained there are two main kinds of waves in an earthquake. The first, which Bird described as an “initial jolt or rumble,” will be detected by the sensor. That will give the warning system a chance to alert the public before the slower and often more damaging waves come seconds later.

“The idea is we’re trying to beat these waves. What we’re doing is we’re telling people an earthquake has just happened, strong shaking is imminent, take immediate protective actions,” Bird told CTV News Vancouver, explaining the alerts will come to individuals through the national public alerting system, which is also used for Amber Alerts.

Even though the system may only offer a few seconds of warning, Bird said a lot can actually be done in that amount of time.

“We’ll be sending alerts directly to critical infrastructure operators so that they can have technologies in place that will be triggered by these alerts,” she said.

Some examples include systems that would automatically open fire hall or ambulance bay doors so that they don’t jam and vehicles can still get out.

The alert will also give individuals time to drop, cover and hold to protect themselves from falling debris.

“There (are) small things you can do within a short period of time, but they make a huge difference in terms of reducing the impact of that earthquake,” Bird said.

The system may not be able to give a warning to those who are too close to the epicentre of the earthquake, however. It also can’t predict when an earthquake will occur, but it senses when the early waves of an earthquake have already happened.

A large number of the 400 sensors will be in B.C., particularly along the coast, Bird explained, because of the higher seismic hazard. She said the government is partnering with organizations who will give a location for the sensor to be installed, like BC Ferries did in Horseshoe Bay.

“Earthquake preparedness is an important part of our emergency response planning, given the critical role BC Ferries would play to connect communities along coastal British Columbia following a major earthquake,” said BC Ferries president and CEO Mark Collins in a statement.

“Being selected as the first early warning site for the national system echoes our commitment to safety, and we look forward to expanding the system at other strategic terminal locations along coastal British Columbia.”

After the remaining sensors are installed, Bird said the earthquake alert system is expected to be operating by 2024.

“This is really exciting technology,” Bird said, adding that the warning system isn’t the only way people can be prepared. “People and systems have to respond properly so I encourage people to go to shakeoutbc.ca and look at the different ways to respond in different situations and to practise those.”