qathet Regional Emergency Preparedness Program to Test Community Notification System on November 20 at 2:00 PM
qathet, B.C. — The qathet Regional Emergency Preparedness Program will be conducting a test of the Community Notification System (CNS) on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. The test is part of the program’s ongoing efforts to strengthen community readiness and ensure residents across the qathet Regional District can receive timely and accurate emergency information.
The Community Notification System is one of several tools the qathet Regional District (qRD) uses to communicate with residents during an emergency or disaster. It enables the Regional District to send alerts by phone call, text message, or email to registered users. During an emergency, this system can be used to share critical updates such as evacuation notices, hazard alerts, or important safety instructions.
“This test helps ensure that the system is functioning properly and that residents are familiar with how alerts may reach them in a real emergency,” said Ryan Thoms, General Manager of Emergency Services for the qathet Regional District. “The Community Notification System is a valuable tool, but it’s just one part of our broader approach to keeping people informed. In a real event, messages may also come through our website, official Facebook page, emergency response personnel, or other trusted local sources.”
Thoms emphasized that while the system is a powerful communication tool, residents should understand that it can take time for notifications to be generated and delivered—especially when sending alerts to large numbers of recipients through multiple channels. “That’s why we always recommend following updates through multiple trusted information sources.”
The November 20 test will simulate an emergency notification being sent to everyone currently registered in the CNS. Those enrolled will receive a test message through the contact methods they selected when signing up. Residents are encouraged to take this opportunity to confirm that they received the alert, check that their contact details are current, and encourage friends, family, and neighbours to register.
The qathet Regional District invites all residents — including those living within the City of Powell River, Tla’amin Nation, and the surrounding rural and island communities — to register for the Community Notification System. Registration is quick and free through the qathet Regional District website at qathet.ca.
Signing up gives you another communications tool to receive important local information in the event of an emergency.
For more information about the Community Notification System or emergency preparedness resources, visit qathet.ca or follow the qathet Regional District on Facebook at @qathetRD.
About the qathet Regional District:
The qathet Regional District serves the rural areas from Lund to sḵelhp (Saltery Bay), the City of Powell River, Texada Island, Savary Island, and Lasqueti Island. The qRD provides some services, through contract, to Tla’amin Nation. To learn more, please visit qathet.ca.
CONTACT:
Ryan Thoms, General Manager of Emergency Services
#202 – 4675 Marine Avenue
Powell River, BC V8A 2L2
P: 604∙485∙2260 | E: emergency@qathet.ca