Signs throughout the city direct evacuees to the reception centre at the Dogwood Gym in the Vernon Recreation Centre (3310 37 Avenue).

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

A new program to help wildfire evacuees find hotel rooms in B.C. is starting out in Kamloops and Kelowna this summer.

The BC Hotel Association, Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Emergency Management have teamed up for the Emergency Management Central Booking Portal, according to a press release.

This new pilot program is supposed to make it easier for anyone who has evacuated their home due to a climate emergency to find a hotel room quickly.

“When an emergency happens, it is critical people know where they can go for refuge and have the necessary support available to them,” Minister of Tourism Lana Popham said in the release.

“We expect the new commercial lodging reservation system will make it easier for Emergency Support Services responders to help people secure a place to stay and find relief during an emergency event or evacuation, whether they are residents, visitors to our province or emergency personnel.”

The booking system is being rolled out in Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George starting in June, and if successful it will come to other communities throughout B.C.

The program will allow Emergency Support Services to access information to streamline booking accommodation for evacuees like direct access to availability information to eliminate manual calls to individual hotels.

READ MORE: Hundreds gathered in West Kelowna to celebrate wildfire fighters, look ahead to this season

“The Emergency Management Central Booking Portal provides Emergency Support Services with a much-needed tool to ensure evacuees can find safe and secure accommodation during crises” president and CEO of BC Hotel Association Ingrid Jarrett said in the release.

“We have worked closely with accommodation providers, regional partners, and government to coordinate the implementation of the portal, and we are so proud of the collective efforts that went in to make this happen.”

The government plans to introduce a referral voucher system that would provide essential information and directions for evacuees to further streamline the emergency lodging process.

"When thousands of people are forced to evacuate their homes at once due to emergencies such as wildfires or flooding, coordinating emergency supports for evacuees can become challenging,” Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma said in the release.

“This partnership with the BC Hotel Association introduces an innovative portal that provides real-time information on available lodging. This tool will play an important role in helping Emergency Support Services responders secure suitable accommodations for evacuees who need it, as soon as they need it."

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