Emergency Preparedness Week, May 1-7
More and more areas of our planet are experiencing disasters and this is prompting Canadians to be more proactive in preparing for emergency situations.
May 1-7 is Emergency Preparedness Week across Canada. The objective is to better prepare Canadians for a natural disaster or an act of catastrophic proportion. As a country, a province, a community and as an individual, pre-planning could make a difference between life and loss in the event of an emergency so it is well worth the learning, time and effort.
On April 12 and 13, 2011, Doug Gillespie, Chair of the Clyde River Community Council, and JoAnn MacPhail, representing Clyde River Women’s Institute, spent two days with representatives from other municipalities learning how to help their communities and residents prepare for emergency situations. As next steps, Council members will have a presentation on the subject and from there, they plan to form a committee of council members and volunteers for the sole purpose of designing an emergency plan for Clyde River.
In the meantime, and especially leading up to and during Emergency Preparedness Week, we can start to get prepared by checking out the information at PEI’s website www.peipublicsafety.ca or by accessing Public Safety Canada’s site at http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/epw/index-eng.aspx At this site, you can find a link to a slide show, a tool kit with suggestions, and print materials that can be ordered.
Watch for valuable information through the media, as well as online or in printed materials.
The key planning messages can be summed up easily with just three short sentences. Know the Risks. Make a plan. Prepare an emergency kit.
Only you will know exactly what the emergency plan for your family should include. A typical plan would include such areas as contact numbers for your children, an emergency kit that is easy to access, a record and supply of current medications, and exits for your home.
Emergency preparedness information is also available on Facebook and on Twitter. www.facebook.com/PEIPublicSafety and www.twitter.com/PEIPublicSafety.