Evacuated Rogers employees in Kelowna help their community during wildfires
When devastating wildfires erupted in B.C.’s Okanagan region this summer, Fido Care Team Manager Tammi Patterson, her family, and several members of her team locally were evacuated from their homes. Despite being uprooted and managing their own personal stress from the fires, she and the team sprang into action to help give back to their community as volunteers.
We sat down with Tammi to learn more.
What happened the morning you were evacuated?
We woke up to our neighbour pounding on your front door and pointing to the mountain that was on fire beside us. Smoke was already covering the neighbourhood and. within minutes, fire and emergency response was there helping to get us out. We grabbed some clothing, our safe that had important documents and our pup, Frankie. It was tough because everything in our home has a memory, but we had to move quickly. It was “go” time.
As we left, we saw people up on their roofs hosing their homes and yards with water. I’ll never forget driving away with neighbours all yelling to each other “be safe!”. We had to drive back roads to get out safely as there were falling embers everywhere. Emergency response was onsite directing traffic. The experience was truly terrifying. And it was reminiscent of the wildfires here 20 years ago, which I still remember vividly.
What kind of support was available to help you and your family during this time?
When we arrived at the emergency centre, we saw volunteers everywhere. They provided maps, water, food, toiletries, pamphlets for crisis support and tons of information on the type of help available. Kelowna is known for its relaxing vibes and summer feel but that day it was clear our community was in a state of emergency with everyone focused on helping each other out.
As a Rogers employee, I was humbled by the support my colleagues and I received from the company. In addition to checking in on each of us to ensure we were safe, Rogers put our families up (including our pets) in a hotel, provided food vouchers, and was there for any additional supports we may have needed. We stayed at the hotel for three days, with all facilities opened for us to use as needed. It is clear we are a family at Rogers.
How have you, your family and Fido Care team in Kelowna been giving back to the community through volunteering?
Like so many of our colleagues across the country, my team in Kelowna is no stranger to giving back through volunteering. So, when a crisis like this happened, our immediate response was to ask, “where do I need to be, what do I need to do, how can I help?”. It’s who we are at Rogers. Together we cooked meals at local restaurants which we delivered to emergency crews and food banks, and even used our vehicles to transport farm animals to safe locations. I was proud that my daughter asked to wear my Rogers sweatshirt and join us in volunteering.
What did this experience teach you about yourself, your team, and your community?
This experience has brought our team, local neighbourhoods and the entire Okanagan region closer together. Kelowna is a strong community that has pulled together time and time again through wildfires over the years, including the summer of 2023. We will rebuild. We will recover. Our team demonstrated the best of Rogers through how we supported each other and our community by giving back, including hosting a thank you BBQ for emergency crews last week. I am so personally grateful to them for putting their lives on the line to keep us – and our homes – safe. And I am proud of Rogers for waiving calls for impacted residents and supporting the Canadian Red Cross relief efforts.
At Rogers we are committed to building a resilient Canada, which includes helping communities, customers and our employees when disasters strike. To learn more about how Rogers helped Canadians respond during the 2023 wildfire season, including in B.C., please visit the link: https://about.rogers.com/news-ideas/helping-canadians-respond-during-the-2023-wildfire-season/