Vancouver International Airport staff were on hand earlier this week to help relocate around 100 long-term care residents impacted by wildfires in B.C.’s Interior.
According to YVR, 25 airport employees helped the seniors – evacuated from long-term care homes in Merritt and surrounding communities – make their way through the terminal to buses on Tuesday. The seniors were then transferred to nearby care facilities in the Vancouver Coastal and Fraser Health regions..
“Our team jumped into action, making special arrangements including greeting the more than 100 passengers upon arrival, accommodating their unique needs as they made their way through YVR and coordinating transportation from the airport to their accommodation,” said Tamara Vrooman, president and CEO of the Vancouver Airport Authority, in a statement to the Richmond News.
The airport authority said that around 105 passengers, including residents and caregivers, were relocated.
YVR coordinated with B.C.’s Ministry of Health, VCH, Fraser Health, WestJet and TransLink to help the long-term care residents.
Vrooman said they were proud to help the province’s efforts bring seniors from some of B.C.’s hardest hit communities this wildfire season to safety.
“We’re committed to serving our community and happy to have worked in a coordinated way with health authorities, WestJet and many other partners, to get the vulnerable residents where they needed to be during this trying time.”
Interior Health said on Monday that it had “proactively relocated” long-term care residents from Armstrong, Lillooett, 100 Mile House, Merritt and West Kelowna. Many of the impacted care homes were evacuated to care facilities in the Lower Mainland.
“We are all in this together. Our collective focus is the safety of care home residents, hospital patients and community health clients entrusted to our care,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO, in a statement.
The health authority said families were being contacted directly about their loved one's temporary location, contact information and ongoing care.
