Emergency Preparedness Week 2026: Community Readiness and Wildfire Resilience
Join Comox Valley Emergency Management partners at Wildfire Preparedness Community Day on May 9 and get ready for a hot, dry summer.
This free, family-friendly event will bring together fire and emergency services and agency partners to demonstrate and share practical tips and tricks for reducing wildfire risk while strengthening emergency preparedness at home and in your neighborhood.
Join Us: Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
- Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Comox Valley Farmers Market | 4839 Headquarters Rd.
- Day-of Activities:
- Demonstrations
- Games
- Equipment tours
- DIY tips
- Prizes
- and more!
More Information: Emergency Preparedness Week / Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
FREE Yard Waste Drop-Off: April and May 2026
The Comox Valley FireSmart™ Resilience Committee is offering another free drop-off opportunity for the months of April and May of 2026. This initiative is open to all residents of the Comox Valley and allows residents to dispose of extra yard waste that may not fit in curbside containers.
- Location: 1200 Knight Road (Comox)
- Time: Daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Dates: months of April and May 2026
*Note: This service is weather dependent.
Accepted Materials: Leaves, grass clippings, branches up to 3 inches in diameter, plants. Materials can be loose or in paper yard waste bags.
Not Accepted: Food waste, plastic bags, rocks, or concrete, root balls, and stumps.
Invasive species: Not accepted through this drop-off program. They can be disposed of at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre. Find the complete list on the Invasive Plants page.
Commercial Operators: Not eligible to participate in this program.
Get Your FREE FireSmart Home Assessment
Did You Know?
Neighbourhood Grant Funding is available through FireSmart Canada - click to learn more
The FireSmart™ program in the Comox Valley is in collaboration with K'ómoks First Nation, Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley Fire Departments, and the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD).
Background
The FireSmart™ program in the Comox Valley is in collaboration with K'ómoks First Nation, Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley Fire Departments, and the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD).
Through the experience from the many years of wildfire events in BC, our partners recognize that wildfires have no respect for local government or community boundaries. Working together regionally is important to reduce and/or mitigate the risk before it becomes a disaster. The group has taken advantage of a provincial government Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) grant funding intended to support public education, reduce the risk of wildfires and mitigate impacts and have created the Comox Valley Regional FireSmart Resilience Committee (CVFRC).
The Comox Valley Regional FireSmart Resilience Committee representatives have agreed to take on the responsibility for regional planning, coordinating and delivering of grant-eligible initiatives such as but not limited to: encouraging neighbourhoods to implement FireSmart practices, support neighbourhoods to become FireSmart 'recognized champions', public education, debris removal (yard waste drop-off events and wood chipper programs), and supporting the development of a regional Comox Valley Community Wildfire Resilience Plan.
FireSmart, Intelli-feu and other associated Marks are trademarks of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
In Partnership With:
