Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / The Fraser Valley Regional District board will consider a motion at its meeting Thursday that could see an earthquake early warning station installed at a fire station in the Chilliwack River Valley.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Earthquake warning station

FVRD to consider Chilliwack River Valley earthquake warning station

Feb 26, 2025 | 12:15 PM

CHILLIWACK — The Fraser Valley Regional District board will consider a motion at its meeting Thursday that could see an earthquake early warning station installed at a fire station in the Chilliwack River Valley.

According to a staff report dated Feb. 13 and authored by FVRD Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Stacey Barker, district staff are recommending that the FVRD board direct its signatories to enter into a license agreement with Natural Resources Canada for an earthquake early warning (EEW) station at the Chilliwack River Valley Fire Department hall, located at 48685 Chilliwack Lake Road.

Barker, who also holds the title of FVRD director of regional services, wrote in her report that the system will use a specially designed network of seismic sensors to emit a few seconds to tens of seconds of warning in the event of a major earthquake, allowing protective actions to be taken, since earthquakes release energy that travels through the earth as seismic waves.

FVRD says the EEW seismic sensors detect the first energy to radiate from an earthquake, the P-wave, which seldom causes damage. The sensors disseminate this critical information to data centres where a computer calculates the earthquake’s location and magnitude, and the expected ground shaking across the region. This method can produce warnings before the arrival of secondary S-waves, which brings the strong shaking that causes most of the damage. EEW alerts are sent to the public through various national alerting systems.

This warning can help reduce injuries, deaths, and property losses by allowing time to enact certain precautions like stopping traffic from traveling onto bridges and into tunnels; diverting planes from landing; halting trains; and closing gas valves.

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FVRD noted, however, that the EEW system alone can’t do everything. For example, it doesn’t eliminate the need for earthquake risk reduction, preparedness and response measures, like constructing to building code requirements.

Natural Resources Canada, tasked with developing policies and programs that enhance the contribution of the natural resources sector to the economy, contacted FVRD with particular interest in establishing a station at the Chilliwack River Valley fire hall because it was pinpointed as an ideal location for their requirements.

FVRD says the EEW station would occupy only a little space at the fire hall and would not adversely impact or disrupt fire operations. For example, the dimensions of the station and emergency batteries are expected to be relatively small (3’x4’x4′) within an exterior metal cabinet. The cabinet will be located at the northeast corner of the fire hall on the existing concrete footing. It will also be accompanied by a mounted GPS antenna.

Image: FVRD / An earthquake early warning station with a mounted GPS antenna.