Low-Level Helicopter Flight Part of Emergency Preparedness Exercise

Duncan, BC - If you see a large helicopter flying low over the Cowichan Valley on Wednesday, May 3, there's no cause for alarm.

The flight is part of an emergency radio communications exercise in which the Cowichan Valley Emergency Program is participating.

As part of the exercise, the Canadian Forces are conducting a low-level flight across Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the North Shore using Canadian Forces aircraft.

The flights are scheduled between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. with the aircraft flying relatively low -- between 1,000 and 1,500 feet. The general route and direction of travel will be determined on that day.

The aircraft will take aerial photos of infrastructure related to post-disaster transportation and logistics planning. Radio communications will be tested at the same time.

Background:

Exercise Sweeper 2017 is an emergency communications exercise created and supported by the Mid-Island Emergency Coordinators and Managers committee (MIECM), a group of emergency managers representing local governments on mid to northern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast. To make the best use of this exercise opportunity, emergency communications will be tested in collaboration with Metro Vancouver, Emergency Management British Columbia, the Canadian Air Force and Washington State.

Exercise Sweeper is based on an earthquake scenario affecting the northern communities of Vancouver Island eliminating traditional forms of communications such as land telephone, cellular phone and internet service. Local government emergency communications is centered on the use of digital and analogue amateur radio.