Emergency Preparedness Week was unanimously proclaimed by City Council at its regular meeting on Monday, Apr. 23.
The week will be marked May 6-12, explained Lisa Washington, Community Development Manager with the City.
“This annual national public awareness campaign takes place during the first full week of May and urges residents to be prepared for emergencies,” she said.
“Emergencies can strike anytime and anywhere, often with little or no notice. Preparedness starts at home and whether you are eight or 80, everyone has a role to play in becoming better prepared. In an emergency, families should be able to survive without assistance for three full days. According to Public Safety Canada, “if an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.” However, that takes planning, which is what Emergency Preparedness is all about - being ready for nearly anything.”
There are essentially three steps to Emergency Preparedness: Knowing the risks, making emergency plans, and getting emergency kits ready.
“To help people stay informed about any potential risks, the Government of Saskatchewan has an emergency public alerting program – SaskAlert. It provides critical information on emergencies in real time, so you can take action to protect yourself, your family and your property. An emergency alert issued through SaskAlert will let you know what the emergency is, where it is happening, provide instructions for you to follow to stay safe, and advise you when the incident is over. The alerts can be broadcast on the radio, the television, and on mobile devices through their app,” said Washington.
“All residents need information to make decisions, so, during Emergency Preparedness Week, everyone is encouraged to download the SaskAlert app on their mobile device. For those [who] might need assistance with their mobile devices, please visit the fire hall any time from Sunday May 6th to Saturday May 12th where someone will help you sign up.”
With respect to the other two steps for Emergency Preparedness, there are a wide variety of resources to help citizens make a plan and get a kit together. These can be found online at www.getprepared.gc.ca and also, on our website under the “Living Here” tab and then click on “Emergency Preparedness” or at http://www.yorkton.ca/cityhall/emergprep/, she said.
