Councillors in Halifax want all schools in the municipality to have an evacuation plan in place in case of the worst.

It stems from the fast moving wildfires four months ago in Tantallon and Hammonds Plains as thousands of people tried to get to safety through a single exit.

Councillor Pam Lovelace represents the area and put the motion on the on the table.

In an interview with our newsroom, Lovelace said we cannot rely on luck and need to plan for these situations.

“My concern is that at this point in time, we don’t have a good understanding, as the municipality, where the schools are going to be relocating to if there is a wildfire, for example. We don’t know what resources are needed from the municipality to support the Nova Scotia Department of Education,” said Lovelace.

Currently, students in Nova Scotia practice for emergencies by simulating evacuations, but they only simulate instances when they need to leave the building, not the entire area.

Lovelace has received nothing but support so far on the matter and other councillors have their same concerns about their districts

“Every single district in this municipality is struggling with a lack of evacuation relocation planning, but not only for schools, for daycares, for long term care facilities. This is a much broader conversation, and we have to make sure we’re planning for this appropriately,” said Lovelace.

Her proposal will now go to city staff to draw up plans that will come to council for discussion.