The Critical Incident Response Protocol is a proclamation of acceptance of our community’s diversity, be that of religious belief, ethnicity, sexual orientation/identification or socio-economic status.
The CIRP was originally adopted in 2009 and has recently been through an upgrade.
Led by the efforts of the Community Justice Centre directors, and, in particular, the chief administrator, Bruce Curtis, the renewal of the Comox Valley Critical Incident Response Protocol Project served to revise the original document “to accommodate changes in society and provide the opportunity to include more groups and individuals within the community.”
The purpose of a response protocol is to guide volunteers, agencies, businesses and all other willing participants in co-ordinated, structured responses to critical incidents, involving threats, be they real or perceived, of racial, homophobic, or hate-based violence against any member of the community.
The entire community is invited to attend the Community Witnessing Ceremony for the 2016 Critical Incident Response Protocol, Friday, Sept. 30 at the K’omoks Big House, on Dyke Road.
It will feature Chief Rob Everson as a guest speaker. The event will be an affirmation of the Comox Valley’s diversity and inclusiveness. The event includes the premiere of a new choral work by Brian Tate called “Nakeestla” (coming together to make things right), performed by a semi-professional chamber choir, dance performance by the Kumugwe Dancers, the Chief’s Peace Dance (including robed representatives of the likely 100 signatories of the Protocol) and a reception following in the K’omoks Band Hall.