Do we have a plan?
How safe are we?
Are we well prepared for a city-wide emergency or a personal emergency? If so, are you personally educated on how to act and react?
On the public front, we believe Estevan has a well organized emergency response template we should be able to follow, and we have well-trained responders, including our fire rescue, police and medical response ambulatory teams to call on. Our hospital is well equipped to handle a sudden influx of sick or wounded.
But how well prepared are we as individuals for the "off-the-wall" incidents?
What about a potential solo or group invasion of one of our schools or churches or any other public gathering place such as Affinity Place?
There are probably evacuation and reaction plans in place at these venues, but are they well known among those who frequent them?
A fire alarm in our schools brings out a well-rehearsed plan of evacuation.
What about a sexual predator? That's something that the citizens of Lloydminster and Rosetown had to consider last week.
Or, heaven forbid, what about an American-styled armed intruder?
What are the plans for those scenarios?
We know all of our city's elementary schools are designed and built so that front reception areas provide an ample opportunity for school officials to quickly spot an unwelcome intruder. Back entrances though, are another story. This now begs the follow-up question how open do we want our schools and public places to be?
Do we let paranoia have the trump card?
The Estevan Comprehensive School is the only educational facility in the city that doesn't have a front-line security/reception area, but it does have camera surveillance.
But should we be that worried about our public-safety issues? Do we need to raise what some would consider to be unwarranted safety concerns?
Right now, probably not, but we also don't want a community that is lax when it comes to the topic of safety either.
Probably the best advice we can offer would be for our citizens to not be paranoid, don't overreact to anything and everything with social media warnings, but, at the same time, be aware of your surroundings. Take a little time to lift your eyes away from the smartphone to observe your immediate surroundings and what's happening around you while you are in a public place.
As far as the home front is concerned, have an evacuation plan for everyone, including the family pets. Re-confirm with your children what they need to be watching for without being alarmists. Kids still need room to be kids without helicopter parents hovering around their every move.
Make sure your family knows what to do in the event of a fire, an intruder or a neighbourhood incident.
If we can all cover one another's back without being intrusive or alarmist, we'll be another step closer to being one of Saskatchewan's premier safe communities.
We need to be helpful, not helpless.
