Victoria Fire sends city new emergency weather response, calling last year’s plan ‘insufficient’

With winter around the corner, Victoria’s fire chief says a new Emergency Weather Response (EWR) is needed to meet the growing needs of vulnerable populations during extreme weather events.

On Friday, Fire Chief Daniel Atkinson submitted a recommended 2025/2026 Emergency Winter Weather Response plan that heads in a new direction from past years ahead of next week’s city council meeting.

The 2025/-2026 EWR response includes a two-tiered plan with overnight shelter beds, increased wellness checks and additional resources for the coming winter season.

The big change is that the city has contracted SOLID staff to run the EWR outreach services instead of city auxiliary staff like past years.

“The city won’t be using its auxiliary workers. Staff aren’t trained to handle situations that might