Yorkton will mark Emergency Preparedness Week in the city following unanimous support for City Council.
“Emergency Preparedness Week is a national awareness initiative that has taken place annually since 1996,” Lisa Washington, Community Development Manager, told the regular meeting of Council Monday.
This collaborative event encourages Canadians to take three simple steps to become better prepared to face a range of emergencies:
• Know the risks
• Make a plan
• Get an emergency kit.
This year, Emergency Preparedness Week takes place from May 3 to 9.
“While governments at all levels work hard to keep Canada safe, everyone has a role to play in being prepared for an emergency. Building awareness is a great first step towards being ready for emergencies. Knowing the risks, making emergency plans, and getting emergency kits can help Yorkton residents prepare for emergencies,” said Washington.
“Being prepared for anything nature sends our way is a part of life in our province. Emergencies can strike at anytime and anywhere, often with little or no notice.”
Washington said people need to take their own steps to be ready.
“Preparedness starts at home and whether you are eight or eighty, everyone has a role to play in becoming better prepared,” she said.
“In an emergency, families should be able to survive without assistance for three full days – 72 hours.
“However, that takes planning, which is what Emergency Preparedness is all about – being ready for nearly anything.”
In recognition of Emergency Preparedness Week, the City is hosting, in conjunction with the Red Cross, and Salvation Army, information opportunities in the lobby of the Gallagher Centre on Tuesday, May 5 from 5:00 – 7:30 p.m. There will be displays, written information, and people on-hand to answer questions about local emergency preparedness; how to respond to an emergency; and what to expect from our local and provincial authorities when an emergency happens, explained Washington.
