On the Front Lines of Disaster: Ian Pollard, EDS Director

Whether hurricanes or wildfires, floods or other crises, The Salvation Army has a robust emergency disaster services (EDS) ministry across the Canada and Bermuda Territory and beyond.

As the EDS director for the British Columbia Division, Ian Pollard has responded to emergencies large and small. And for his service following the massive floods in B.C. back in 2021, he received an Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award from the Government of Canada. On this episode, he shares not only about his EDS work, but also about his deep faith as a lifelong Salvationist and his commitment to the mission of The Salvation Army.

Learn more about the Army's EDS ministry, including volunteer opportunities, at SalvationArmy.ca/EDS.

Transcript

Kristin Ostensen  

Earlier this month, the eyes of the world were on the southeastern United States as hurricane Milton swept through the area, bringing widespread devastation in many communities. The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services has been helping those affected in multiple states, and a team of Canadian EDS personnel have been deployed to assist with these efforts. Whether hurricanes or wildfires, floods or other crises, The Salvation Army has a robust EDS ministry across the Canada and Bermuda Territory and beyond. As the EDS director for the British Columbia Division, Ian Pollard has responded to emergencies large and small. And for his service following the massive floods in B.C. back in 2021, he recently received an Emergency Management Exemplary Service Award from the Government of Canada. We’re delighted to have Ian on the podcast today, where he shares not only about his EDS work, but also about his deep faith and his commitment to the mission of The Salvation Army.

Hi Ian, and welcome to the Salvationist podcast.

Ian Pollard

Hi Kristin. Thank you for inviting me.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, absolutely. So, the last time we met was actually about three years ago, when I was in Abbotsford and Chilliwack to cover the flooding there that was happening that fall. And I have to say, that was a really intense experience, you know, being from the Lower Mainland myself, and seeing that kind of disaster up close. And that's something you do sort of every day in your role.

Ian Pollard

Yeah, it was just a couple of years ago, but it was a very challenging time for sure. You know, the flooding was so widespread across the province that when you came out, and you experienced as well, the access to not only the Fraser Valley, but also the B.C. Interior, was severely impacted. You know, most of the main roads were flooded, including the highway, which was just down from where you guys were staying. And that response, you know, lasted over a month. 

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, no, it was so huge. And, of course, I'm from B.C., you're from BC, and many people around the territory would know you as the EDS director for B.C., of course, but you're also a member of the Army's Cascade Community Church in Abbotsford, and you've been attending the Army since you were 10 years old. So, I'm wondering if we can start with you telling me a bit about your background, your family, and how did you first get involved in The Salvation Army?

Ian Pollard

For sure, yeah. I was fortunate to be raised in a Christian home. I attended church at an early age with my family. My family arrived in British Columbia from England when I was 10 years old. And The Salvation Army was sort of the first church we attended in Canada, so it's pretty well right after we landed, my sister and I were invited to come out to Sunday school at the local corps there. They did, yeah, bus ministry that was picking kids up. So that's how we started attending there. And then my family followed up, started to regularly attend The Salvation Army after that.

Kristin Ostensen

OK, very cool. Were you familiar with the Army, of course, having been from England originally?

Ian Pollard

No, not really, no. We were raised more in the evangelical, you know, and Baptist churches. So, no, at 10 years old, I hadn't really heard about The Salvation Army. My parents might have, but I hadn't,

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, yeah. Well, having grown up in the church, was there a time or an experience when the faith really became your own?

Ian Pollard

Well, while attending Sunday School at The Salvation Army, you know, when we first started attending there, I made a commitment to Jesus and became a junior soldier. A couple of years later, unfortunately, we moved a bit further out to the suburbs, and there wasn't a Salvation Army in that area to attend. So, you know, still being fairly young, began attending a local church with my parents, but didn't go there as regularly, you know, during my high school years, as sports and studies took more of a priority. Now, The Salvation Army we had attended before, which was about 40 kilometers away, had a welcome back service that we did attend, and I had started to drive, had my license at the time, you know, fairly new at that. But, you know, my parents were settled in the other church, but I had the opportunity to be able to drive to The Salvation Army on a regular basis. And I did that. So, yeah, so I started attending that corps again regularly, and went on to make recommitment to God and became a senior soldier, and then also went on to meet my wife at one of the divisional youth ski weekends that was held, you know, a couple of years after that. So it kind of all came together.

Kristin Ostensen

That's great. Well, you've been a lifelong Christian, and as Christians, we all have peaks and valleys in our walk with Christ. When you reflect on your spiritual journey, can you speak about how God has been with you along the way through the various things of life?

Ian Pollard

Yeah, you know, it's a relationship that we have to make a priority in our lives. God's been there for me as an encourager, providing support, love, wisdom throughout my life. I draw close to him during times of celebration, but also as well at times of difficulty—at least I try to and, you know, it's a daily journey to trust in God, in his Word, in everything that we do. EDS can be challenging at times, but you know, God helps equip me through some of my past jobs and experiences, and also sharing his wisdom and peace when I'm out and engaged in deployments and just dealing with emergency responses.

Kristin Ostensen

So along with your EDS ministry, how else are you involved with your corps and what do you find meaningful about these ministries?

Ian Pollard

Well, over the years, I've been involved in Sunday school, youth group, hockey and camp ministry and the band. You know, I currently serve on the finance committee right now, and the Mission Board. I still get to play in the band, but it's more just at Christmastime, but still enjoy that and help out at church services and events as we have them. I mean, the local church has many ways to get involved in their community. It also allows me to worship and fellowship with others and brings my experiences and training into those ministries that I get involved in.

Kristin Ostensen

Well, of course, it's interesting you serve on the finance committee, because, you know, when you think of Ian Pollard, the great EDS director, people might not know that you actually worked in the banking sector for about 20 years. So I'm very curious, how do you go from bank manager to EDS director?

Ian Pollard

Yeah, for sure. And there's been a lot of bank manager jokes over the years, for sure, and that I've been the brunt of. But no, as mentioned earlier, I attended the church at The Salvation Army, you know, many years ago. I had been volunteering in various ministries there along the way, including EDS. So, my first EDS deployment was 25 years ago. So, I actually started working at The Salvation Army in family service and as a youth pastor when we first got married. So, I actually had worked there before, just about a couple of years. And then after that, I went on to pursue my career in banking. So, you know, banking was very rewarding, but also very, very time consuming. You know, especially when you're trying to get involved in ministry and other things. So there, you know, you do the best you can, but you know, there's certainly limitations for that. So, after 20 years in banking, I felt God was calling me to full-time ministry, and about eight years ago, an opportunity to came up for me to join The Salvation Army again. So yeah, many of the skills I learned in the business world were transferable to my work at The Salvation Army. You know, one example I'll give you is, so one position required me to travel all over B.C. to support bank managers, and there's almost a branch in every town in B.C. where I used to work. So that was very helpful in my current EDS role, as it gave me a good grasp of the B.C. landscape. You know, when we're having emergencies, you kind of, “Oh, there's a fire here, there’s flooding there,” and you're kind of, “Oh, I know where that is.” And so, it's just funny how, or, you know, really cool, how you see how God's equipped you through doing something completely, you think, is unrelated to emergency services.

Kristin Ostensen  

Yeah, that's a really interesting point. And when you did sense that call, how did it come to you?

Ian Pollard

It was, you know, just a—you have a feeling that you want to just get more involved. So, I think it was just God knocking on my heart and just that conviction. My wife and I actually went to—what do they call it, sorry? 

Kristin Ostensen  

Officership information weekend?

Ian Pollard

Officership—yeah, yeah, the weekend away, recruitment for that, just to get some more information. And we really felt led that we wanted to join the Army, and then this opportunity came up sort of around about the same time. So it was, you know, just really felt that that was where God was leading me, that I could still be effective in ministry, full-time ministry, as an employee, rather than an officer at the time.

Kristin Ostensen

Absolutely. And of course, you just noted that your first EDS response was about 25 years ago. Just as an estimate, how many EDS responses do you think you've been involved with over the years?

Ian Pollard

Oh, boy. [laughs] So, I mean EDS responses can be small, right? Such as a local building fire; much larger like a wildfire, flood or is what's going on right now—hurricane, you know, down in the States. And those can last days or weeks or even months. Anyway, so with that in mind, I've probably been involved in about 80 EDS responses over the years, and maybe with about 10 of those being larger, the larger ones.

Kristin Ostensen

Wow, that is a lot. And so, this next question is probably a tough one, but when you look back, are there any responses that really stand out to you?

Ian Pollard

Yeah, there's a couple actually that come to mind. So, the 2021 B.C. atmospheric river. So that's the flooding when you guys came out from the territorial team to support that response, and that's because some of the flooding occurred close to home, right? That's always tough. We weren't in an evacuation state—we're a little bit further away from the areas that flooded, you know, just being up a hill. But, you know, you could sort of hear things happening locally. All of the military was deployed as well at that point. So, there's helicopters going above us and, you know, lots of action. But it was also very unique in that the main highways into the Interior were all damaged or closed, and we had to get very creative on delivering supplies, including—first time for us in B.C.—using government helicopters, and we also partnered using some small private planes to deliver supplies to areas that were impacted and not accessible at the time. That one stands out. A second response would be the last year, the 2023 wildfire season. It was the worst in B.C. history with over 2.8 million hectares burned. So, and our responses ran from May to September, so it was a long season. And we had one of our largest EDS vehicle deployments of 15 all at one time. So, just to put it in perspective, we have approximately 30 emergency vehicles, mainly canteen vehicles, canteen trucks in B.C., and having half of those deployed at, you know, across the province, all at one time is, you know, a lot—it's a large response.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah!

Ian Pollard

Also, busy feeding evacuees and first responders during that time, and there were over 330 wildfires burning across the province, so that was keeping the wildfire crews and emergency responders and ourselves very busy during that time. So just really thankful to all of the, you know, support from the volunteers, our officers, our staff—everybody who helped with that response. And it's just a real, you know, challenging time. But, you know, we talked earlier about drawing close to God—that was certainly, you know, a time where I spent a lot of time in prayer and really felt God's hand on me and support and wisdom through those times.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, I mean seeing disaster up close must be hard, especially when it's literally close—you know, right down the street. And it must be emotionally and spiritually draining. And so, I’m wondering, how do you approach caring for others in those moments? And then, how do you also care for yourself?

Ian Pollard

Yeah, I've certainly been on the front lines serving, but also want to, you know, think of and thank many of the volunteers and officers and staff that respond to those emergencies. So, to your question: survivors, you know, they need, from us they need to receive love, the ministry of presence—so, really being there for the people, just being there, and, you know, someone who can listen and providing nourishment. And then, to be able to provide those things, emergency workers really need to stay grounded. And as you mentioned, you know, practise that self-care. So certain things, different things for different people that really help with this. But some of the things that help me, you know, it includes prayer support from coworkers, and being able to have those conversations with your family and friends as you're navigating through, you know, some challenging times. Healthy eating—I can't stress that enough. You're working long hours, you know, and just to have, make that purposeful. You know, we've run incident command teams several times, and we make sure that we've got those foods available as we're meeting together, so you don't have to, you're not always grabbing a Snickers bar. Maybe there's a banana there or some, you know, other types of fruit, or other healthy options. So, that's really helpful as well. And then making sure you're getting out and exercising. It doesn't necessarily mean you're going on a 10-mile run. For some people, it might just be a walk around the block. But that really does help clear your head and help as you're, in that self-care for you. And make sure you're getting the right amount of rest as well, really scheduling those times and taking breaks, because you're working long hours. So just making sure that you're making time for yourself, and if you're leading, then that your team is doing that. So, reminding them to do it, that's I find really important—just that reminder for either yourself or others that you're doing these things.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, that's very good point. And it's funny, too, how something simple, like just making sure you have the, you know, good healthy food—it's such a simple thing, but it really helps for any situation, but especially in crisis.

Ian Pollard

Yeah, I don't need any extra help getting my hand on chocolate bars. [laughs] That's all the time.

Kristin Ostensen

[Laughs] Well, given all the different ways you're involved in The Salvation Army, what inspires you about the Army today?

Ian Pollard

So, what inspires me is the, well, the mission statement, you know, and I'll just share that with you: that The Salvation Army exists to share the love of Jesus Christ, meet human needs and be a transforming influence in the communities of our world. So that's what really inspires me. It sums it up. The Salvation Army is a great place to both work but also to worship and get involved in the local community. So, there's lots of opportunities there—opportunities that don't just include EDS work, although that is, you know, very enjoyable. But also helping with the many social service programs that we run. So, there's all kinds of ministries there. And with local corps ministries such as Bible studies, you know, the services at, the church services and youth programs. So there's just so many different ways that the Army allows you to get involved in in your community. And the fact that we're also, not only widespread across Canada, but also right across the world. So, there's that opportunity for that real global influence.

Kristin Ostensen

Yeah, you really get a strong sense of the Army story across the world when you're involved in something like EDS, because, of course, you've had international deployments and stuff like that as well.

Ian Pollard

Oh, for sure you do, yeah.

Kristin Ostensen

And as you think about your life and your ministry, what would you most like to be known for?

Ian Pollard

Oh, boy, that's a tough one. You know, someone that you can count on, I guess—I hope to be that. To be caring, be known for being understanding and wanting to help those in need, but also maybe encouraging others to do their best. That's sort of another thing that I really try to do—bring out the best in others. And well, I think being known to being a good husband, good father—I have two children—and a good son and good friend to those that, you know, I do spend time with as well. And then just be known for supporting God's work, you know, being a good Christian witness to others when I do get an opportunity to either talk with them, or if it's just a matter of them just observing my actions—to be a good witness that way.

Kristin Ostensen

All very noble and wonderful goals. And as we wrap up, I just want to thank you so much for your time today. It's been lovely seeing you again and getting to know you a little bit better. And God bless you in all the ministry you're doing.

Ian Pollard

Thank you. It's been good chatting with you again, too.

Kristin Ostensen

Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Salvationist podcast. For more episodes, visit Salvationist.ca/podcast.