Duane Hicks
With Emergency Preparedness Week underway across Ontario next week (May 3-9), Fort Frances Fire Chief Gerry Armstrong, who also is the community emergency management co-ordinator, is urging the public to formulate their own emergency preparedness plans.
“One thing we really want to emphasize in emergency preparedness is that we, in our homes, are prepared in the event that something catastrophic should happen,” Chief Armstrong told council Monday night.
“That could be anything from a natural disaster, it could be a whole number of things that can interrupt our lives and our everyday activities if you will,” he explained.
“We really want to put forward to the people of our community that we truly need some preparation,” Chief Armstrong stressed. “We need to some planning, we need to make sure our loved ones are looked after in the event something major could happen.
“And we really need to understand what the potential risks are in our community,” he warned. “They could be anything from a natural disaster to things can, in fact, be industrial, a man-made or human error scenario.
“Transportation is another opportunity for something catastrophic to happen in our community.”
Everyone in Fort Frances received an Emergency Preparedness Guide for Emergency Preparedness Week last year, Chief Armstrong noted, and next week they will be receiving a newsletter in the mail.
It provides a summary of what is included in that guide.
“When the residents receive this . . . they can perhaps put it on the fridge, review it with their family,” he suggested. “There’s a whole number of ways the information on this one sheet could be referenced.
“It’s set up in steps, and again, it emphasizes you know what the risks are in your community, put together your basic kit . . . and ensure you have some sort of plan.
“What are you going to do in the event when it happens? Once it happens, it’s too late to start your planning,” Chief Armstrong stressed.
The newsletter also gives tips on what to keep in your vehicle for emergencies and where you can get pre-packaged emergency kits.
Chief Armstrong also recommended the public fill out one of the Emergency Preparedness Guides if they didn’t last year.
The Emergency Preparedness Guide, which is published by Public Safety Canada and available at the Civic Centre, informs residents how to identify possible emergency situations that may occur, make a plan in response to such an emergency, and prepare a kit that would let an individual or family survive for a 72-hour period, Chief Armstrong explained.
For example, families can use the guide to record an escape route from their home and neighbourhood, as well as identify meeting places near the home or immediately outside the neighbourhood.
The guide also is a place where they can mark down the locations of fire extinguishers, water valves, gas valves, electrical boxes, and floor drains, which may have to be accessed in emergency situations.
People can use the guide as a place to write down how to get hold of their children, relatives, and other important contacts in case of an emergency (i.e., family doctors, insurance agents, neighbours, etc.), as well as mark down pertinent health information for family members with special health needs.
The guide also encourages residents to keep in mind that some public shelters or hotels don’t allow pets, and that pet owners should make alternate arrangements for their pets to be fed and cared for if they do have to evacuate their home.
Finally, it offers some tips as to what to include in a survival kit, such as:
•at least two litres of water per person per day;
•flashlight and batteries;
•food that won’t spoil and a manual can-opener;
•first aid kit;
•radio;
•candles and matches/lighter;
•extra keys for vehicle and house;
•some cash;
•special items such as prescription medications, infant formula, and equipment for people with disabilities; and
•a copy of the emergency plan and contact information.
Anyone with questions about emergency planning should feel free to call the fire department at 274-9841.
In other news, the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service, in conjunction with Canadian Tire, will be holding its “Spring Into Summer” event next Saturday (May 9) from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Canadian Tire.
The public is encouraged to drop by, visit with firefighters, get fire safety information, and register for prizes.
