BC Housing's Rapid Damage Assessment Program trains community members and Emergency Social Services personnel in safe effective damage assessment following a disaster such as a flood or an earthquake. The courses teach the basic skills to identify unsafe conditions in wood frame, masonry and concrete construction caused by disasters.

Individuals are shown how to assess damage to determine whether buildings can be re-occupied. BC Housing's rapid inspection skills are taught using the Applied Technologies Council (ATC 20 & 45) guidelines from California. For more information please refer to the Rapid Damage Assessment brochure.

BC Housing provides two separate course options for the delivery of Rapid Damage Assessment training:

Rapid Damage Assessment: Neighbourhood Response
This is a neighbourhood level course designed for Emergency Social Services and first responder personnel.
Rapid Damage Assessment for Professionals
This is a professional level course, designed for persons with a strong technical and/or construction background. This option most often appeals to personnel who are actively involved in property or facilities management, building inspection, fire prevention, and engineering roles.

All of these courses are offered at an extremely reasonable rate to encourage emergency preparedness and business continuity planning in the public and private sector participants. If you are interested in arranging for training please contact Steven Bibby at: sbibby@bchousing.org, 604-439-4706, or call toll-free 1-800-257-7756, local 4706.