Jennifer Franssen

Soon after settling in Ladysmith, British Columbia with her three children, Jennifer Franssen attended a workshop on earthquakes and volunteered to put together a kiosk of earthquake supplies and information for her children’s school. Her passion for emergency planning grew steadily and in 1994 she became the emergency planning co-ordinator for Cowichan Valley, where she was called upon many times to assist during snowstorms, forest fires, floods and other emergencies. Franssen has also helped create a 1,500-person emergency planning volunteer team. She continues to spend many hours delivering workshops and offering guidance each week and helps ensure that other areas of British Columbia are prepared for emergencies.