About BizDAP
BizDAP is for Business Owners Residents Economic Planners
Business Owners: BizDAP was created to help South Kootenay businesses prepare for and recover from economic disaster. Financially surviving a disaster is much easier if you are prepared for the disaster. Events that impact a businesses ability to earn income do happen here, and the frequency of natural disasters are forecast to increase. It is not if an event will occur, but when it will occur.
Residents: In times of emergency the BizDAP website will provide up-to-date news and links to information such as evacuation alerts, muster stations, road closures, disaster updates, and other pertinent information needed by all residents that can be shared by the media as it will come from a trusted resource. This will allow emergency personal to focus on the disaster rather than fielding questions.
Economic Planners: BizDAP is also an information repository that allows community leaders to hone the written all-hazard approach called the Economic Resiliency Action Plan, or ERAP for short. To learn more about ERAP, watch the intro video below.
Intro Video
Watch Chris Marsh of Clear Sky Consulting and Loro Seymour of Community Futures South Kootenay as they present an overview of the written Economic Resiliency Action Plan to the residents and elected official of the South Kootenay. This is a great introduction to ERAP for organizations and individuals that may wish to become involved and help their communities plan for, and recover from economic disruptiuon.
How BizDAP Originated
As the written ERAP document was nearing completion, the Communications Action Group leader and a local reporter watched the 2021 Castlegar wildfire break out on Canada Day within City limits. The reporter was unable to get information from a trusted resource, even though scanner radio chatter suggested there may be an evacuation. Rumors began to spread on Social Media, and it quickly became evident a publicly accessible trusted resource for information was needed. The resource was written into ERAP as BizDAP -a multi-faceted communications platform that will:
- Provide information from trusted resources in times of disaster.
- Provide information and resources to help businesses prepare for disasters.
- Store the written ERAP as a living document so it may evolve and remain current.
Volunteering For an ERAP Committee
ERAP is a volunteer driven community action plan. There are nine (9) Action Groups that all play different roles in helping our region recover from economic slowdown due to disaster or other events. These Action Groups also help maintain and update the ERAP, as well as supply information and resources to help our communities and businesses prepare for the next disaster. To learn more about ERAP and the various Action Groups visit the For Planners section of this website.
Join an Action Group
If you are interested in joining an Action Group, select the group from the list below to learn more about the group functions. When you have found a group of interest return to this page to complete and submit the form.
- Business Technical Assistance and Financing Action Group
- Communications Action Group
- Economic Impact Assessment Action Group
- Economic Infrastructure Action Group
- Local Procurement Action Group
- Psychosocial Action Group
- Regulatory and Compliance Action Group
- Structures and Access Action Group
- Workforce Support Action Group
