Emergency Preparedness Week - Some great tips

Emergencies can strike any time, and the best way to handle them is to be sure that you and your family are prepared. Emergency Preparedness Week 2014 takes place from May 4 – 10 and is a great opportunity to make sure you and your family are prepared.

Your family can be prepared for emergencies by:

·    Making a plan: The Emergency Management Ontario website provides an Emergency Preparedness Action Plan tool, which lets you create a customized emergency plan based on your family’s needs.

·    Building a kit: Everyone should have a survival kit that contains supplies to take care of you and your family for at least 72 hours (that’s three days!). The Town of Collingwood Emergency Preparedness webpage provides detailed suggestions of what you should include in your kit.

·    Staying informed: It’s important to be aware of developing situations that could turn into emergencies. There are a number of services available to help keep you informed. Listen to your local radio station, follow the Town of Collingwood on Twitter (@TownCollingwood) or visit the Emergency Management Ontario site to sign up for alerts.

The theme for Emergency Preparedness Week 2014 is ‘I am ready. We are ready.’ Once your family has followed the three steps above to prepare for emergencies, residents are encouraged to reach out to their neighbours, friends, and extended family members to make sure that they are also prepared, despite any physical challenges, language barriers or age.

“Ensuring that you and your family are prepared for emergencies is one of the best things you can do to stay safe,” said Town of Collingwood Fire Chief Trent Elyea. “We encourage all residents to make a plan, build a kit and stay informed.”

During this year’s Emergency Preparedness Week, the Town will promote a different element of Emergency Preparedness each day. At the end of the week, send in the list of the five elements, and you could win one of two Emergency Preparedness prize packs.

Information, links and resources for Emergency Preparedness are available on the Town of Collingwood’s website at www.collingwood.ca/emergency-preparedness