What Come From Away Reminded Me About Emergency Support Services

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to see Come From Away at Vancouver's Stanley Theatre.

Like many people, I knew the basic story. On September 11, 2001, after North American airspace was closed, dozens of international flights were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. Almost overnight, a town of about 7,000 people welcomed nearly the same number of stranded passengers from around the world.

As I watched the show, I couldn't help but think about Emergency Support Services and the work our volunteers do every day. Throughout the performance, I kept thinking,

"This is what Emergency Support Services is all about."

For more than 30 years, I've worked in Emergency Support Services (ESS), helping communities prepare for and respond to disasters. Throughout the show, I saw many of the same challenges ESS volunteers face during evacuations and emergency responses today.

• How do you register hundreds - or even thousands - of people?

• Where will they sleep?

• How do you provide meals?

• How do you communicate when people speak different languages?

• How do you reunite families?

• How do you support people with medical needs, disabilities, pets, or those who simply need someone to sit beside them and reassure them?

These are the questions ESS teams deal with every time they respond.

One moment in the play particularly stood out to me.

Among the stranded passengers was a professional chef. It wasn't until later that the community discovered his background, and once they did, he naturally stepped in to help prepare meals.

It was a reminder that Gander wasn't operating with a formal Emergency Support Services (ESS) program. They were simply ordinary people responding to an extraordinary situation, doing whatever needed to be done.

It also made me think about something we occasionally discuss in emergency management.

In ESS, evacuees are just that - evacuees. Our priority is to make sure they are safe, supported, and cared for. We typically don't ask them to take on ESS volunteer roles.

However, during large-scale disasters, people want to help. Walk-in or convergent volunteers often arrive asking, "What can I do?" Some ESS teams choose not to use them, while others have processes in place to safely integrate them into the response. With the right screening, supervision, and assigned tasks, they can become a valuable resource when local teams are overwhelmed.

That said, the backbone of every ESS response is our trained volunteers. Across British Columbia, they are trained to respond to wildfires, floods, earthquakes, house fires, and other emergencies. They understand their roles, follow established procedures, and work together to provide support for evacuees.

What happened in Gander was remarkable because an entire community came together to help complete strangers. That same spirit remains at the heart of Emergency Support Services today. The difference is that today's ESS volunteers combine compassion with training, planning, and experience, allowing communities to respond more effectively and confidently when disaster strikes.

"Compassion is powerful. Compassion supported by training is even more effective."

The people of Gander opened their homes, schools, churches, and community halls. They simply did what they could to help. Their compassion was extraordinary.

Across British Columbia, thousands of ESS volunteers continue that same tradition every day. They prepare for wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other emergencies, learning how to support people and their pets during what is often one of the most difficult days of their lives.

The heart of the response is still the same. People helping people.

Come From Away isn't really about September 11.

It's about kindness.

It's about community.

It's about ordinary people stepping forward when extraordinary circumstances demand it.

As someone who has spent a career in emergency management, I left the theatre feeling proud of every ESS volunteer who has ever put on a vest, opened a reception centre, offered a listening ear, or simply helped someone feel safe.

If you volunteer or work in Emergency Support Services or emergency management, I highly recommend seeing Come From Away.

You'll laugh. You'll cry. And you'll be reminded why we do what we do.

At the heart of every emergency response are people helping people.

Thank you to every ESS volunteer who makes that happen.

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Meet Jackie Kloosterboer

Real emergency preparedness is the comfort of knowing your loved ones are protected, no matter where you are. Jackie Kloosterboer works alongside communities and families to design straightforward, actionable disaster plans that deliver genuine peace of mind.

Find out more about Jackie