DID YOU KNOW?
It’s important to be prepared to face an emergency, as well as keeping your emergency preparedness in the prime and practicing the following FIVE each time:
- Know the Risks/Plan For Every Season
- Make an Emergency Plan
- Build an Emergency Kit
- Stay Informed
- Know Your Neighbours & Make Community Connections.
Meanwhile, last week’s Safety Tidbits Column began our exploration of the “VITAL SIX” tool and its P.O.M.P.E.E. framework, to help PEOPLE and ORGANIZATIONS with their emergency preparedness planning. I introduced some bits and pieces from the first three elements.
- PEOPLE
- ORGANIZATIONS
- MEASURABLES (THINGS THAT ARE MEASURABLE)
Continuing with the “VITAL SIX” tool and its P.O.M.P.E.E. framework, let’s explore some bits and pieces from the remaining three elements.
- PROCEDURES (PROTOCOLS/STEPS)
- EQUIPMENT (MATERIALS & INFRASTRUCTURE)
- ENVIRONMENT (PHYSICAL & MENTAL)
PROCEDURES (PROTOCOLS/STEPS)
Did you ever develop an emergency plan and build an emergency kit for your household? How are you maintaining connections when it matters with family members? Consider adding location-sharing services—like a TRACKING APP—to everyone’s phones to be part of your family’s emergency plan.
- In the event of an emergency, what specific needs might your family members have that you should plan for?
- During an emergency, knowing how to quickly gather supplies, accurately assess the situation, and communicating effectively are vital for your safety.
- What are the exit routes from your home or building?
- Where is your meeting location outside, as well as the alternate meeting location outside your neighbourhood?
- Who are your designated OUT-OF-TOWN CONTACTS?
- What is your SHELTER-IN-PLACE LOCATION?
- How are you set-up to receive EMERGENCY ALERTS?
- How many people within your household are capable of safely shutting off utilities such as your home’s water, electricity, and gas supply.
- Given the diverse individuals who make up our neighbourhood—with their unique backgrounds, skills, experiences, and hobbies—consider establishing a Neighbour-to-Neighbour Emergency Preparedness Plan.
EQUIPMENT (MATERIALS & INFRASTRUCTURE)
What equipment, including materials and infrastructure may be of need in the event of an emergency or disaster?
- Is your emergency kit fully stocked of necessary items?
- What are some of the additional items you may need to take along with your emergency kit if you need to evacuate and leave your home, neighborhood, or community?
- Do you have a working sump pump and a backup sump pump nearby if yours fails? Consider a Venturi Pump, which uses a water powered back-up system, which can be a valuable solution for preventing basement flooding during power outages, as it doesn’t require electricity. NOTE: In the Town of Fort Frances, the Water Treatment Plant has a permanently installed backup generator.
- If you needed sand and sandbags, where would you obtain them from?
- If needed, where would you obtain dewatering equipment such as pumps and hoses etc?
- Does your community have locations that serve as an emergency evacuation centre with backup power? NOTE: The site of the Fort Frances High School/Confederation College/Townshend Theatre features a permanently installed backup generator. This enhancement ensures that the building complex can reliably function as the town’s designated EMERGENCY EVACUATION CENTRE, equipped with kitchens, showers and ample space for people during an emergency. The diesel-powered generator is programmed to kick in after five seconds of power loss from the grid. Recognizing the critical importance of Emergency Preparedness for our community, the Fort Frances Power Corporation and the Town of Fort Frances partnered to fund this project, which held special significance for all stakeholders involved, including myself personally.
- Do any adjacent communities source their electricity from a different power company? NOTE: The Town of Fort Frances and its sister city International Falls, Minnesota, are connected via the International Bridge. Because International Falls receives its electricity from Minnesota Power, it stands as a potentially unaffected, full-service community that could prove invaluable during a long-lasting Ontario Power Grid failure.
ENVIRONMENT (PHYSICAL & MENTAL)
The ENVIRONMENT can also be tied into MEASURABLES (THINGS THAT ARE MEASURABLE).
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:
- During an emergency, the physical environment throws up considerable obstacles. Consider the impact of weather, terrain, the limitations of infrastructure, the extent of existing vulnerabilities, problems with accessibility, and the sheer force of potential hazards, each presenting unique challenges.
- Remote or rural areas may have few emergency services, limited access to evacuation routes, and challenges in coordinating response efforts.
- High population density in urban areas present significant evacuation challenges, including potential congestion, traffic gridlock, and the complex logistics of managing a large number of people.
- Communities that are geographically isolated or have limited access to transportation can face significant challenges in receiving evacuation and emergency resources.
MENTAL ENVIRONMENT:
- During emergencies, the psychological well-being (mental health) of individuals can pose considerable difficulties.
- Emergency events are inherently stressful, naturally triggering feelings of fear, confusion, and anxiety.
- Nearly everyone impacted by an emergency will experience some degree of psychological distress, which can negatively affect their overall mental health.
- Furthermore, emergency responders and dispatchers, already contend with substantial daily psychological demands, compounded by existing staffing limitations (shortages).
Safety—it starts with you.
