Are you ready when disaster strikes? That is the message that officials are trying to get through to people during Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada.
Although the week is held every May, it seems many people are still not getting the message. A 2014 Statistics Canada report on the topic found that only 48 per cent of Canadians have set aside water, food, medicine and flashlights in the event of an emergency that knocked out basic services. Yet in that same year 12.4 million Canadians reported a personal experience with a major disaster or emergency.
The same report noted that in the census region that includes St. Albert 22 per cent of people had no precautionary measures in place at all.
Even basic fire safety is lacking in some areas. While 98 per cent of Canadians had a working smoke detector, only forty per cent also had a working carbon monoxide detector and a working fire extinguisher.
Nearly 60 per cent of respondents reported having battery operated or crank radios to rely on for news if disaster knocked out power.
National and provincial efforts are underway to improve the emergency alert system by having people contacted on their cellphones in case of emergencies or disasters in their area. However, test alerts this week failed in many areas of the country including Alberta. Clearly there are some issues to work out.
This year thousands of Canadians have had to leave their homes because of flooding – in Alberta, the Maritimes and B.C. Two years ago the Fort McMurray wildfire evacuated an entire city on short notice. It is likely that none of the people predicted it would happen to them. Emergencies have also have happened closer to home. Last year a train derailment evacuated a Sturgeon County subdivision.
The City of St. Albert is trying to help people prepare. A workshop this week drew more than two dozen people to learn how to prepare for emergencies. Colleen Lamble, emergency management co-ordinator for St. Albert, urged people to have a written plan of what to do and what to take, because people can panic in emergencies.
What if you had to shelter in place – do you have the food, water and other supplies you need to survive for 72 hours? If you have to leave your home on short notice, do you have your grab and go kit of important documents, medicine, food and water and extra clothing and blankets?
Have you talked to your family about what you would do in an emergency? What is the family plan? Where is the muster point if you have to leave your home? Your family may not be together when an emergency happens.
If you don't know where to start go to the city's website www.stalbert.ca for its Emergency Preparedness Guide.
Get ready today. If you think disaster can't happen to you, think again.
