Staff
Today is the start of “Emergency Preparedness Week” (May 8-13) and Fort Frances Fire Chief/CEMC Tyler Moffitt is urging citizens to take steps to be prepared.
Chief Moffitt said a major factor in being ready for an emergency is having a 72-hour kit that includes things like water, food, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, spare keys, cash, and a plan.
“So, basically, it’s getting people ready for when there’s an emergency in the community,” Chief Moffitt explained.
“A big part of that is getting a 72-hour kit.
“I believe the average person does not have a kit,” he noted. “[And] this has been a big promotion that has gone on for years, to try to get people to have a 72-hour kit.
“We promote it as much as we can.”
This year’s theme for “Emergency Preparedness Week” is “Prepare Your Selfie.”
This is how the public can get involved:
•Take a “selfie” to show how you’re prepared for an emergency by creating a plan and building a kit.
You can get tips on making a plan and making a kit online at www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/english/beprepared/beprepared.html
•Share your selfie on social media using the hash tag #PrepareYourSelfie.
•Challenge family, friends, and/or colleagues to do so as well.
Chief Moffitt noted emergency situations can–and do–arise close to home and it’s vital to be prepared.
It’s been a year since the forest fire near the Manitoba border spread smoke throughout Fort Frances and International Falls.
On May 5, 2016, a forest fire began burning northwest of Ingolf.
Pellatt firefighters initially responded to scene, but they were turned back by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The fire began at 250 hectares in size but it grew to more than 5,000 hectares.
Moffitt said the Ingolf fire showed how unprepared people can be for an evacuation.
“You don’t know where you’ll be when an emergency hits–so you need an emergency plan and make sure that you’re prepared,” he stressed.
“Emergency Preparedness Week” will carry through the entire month here. The Fort Frances Fire & Rescue Service will hold a spring open house on Saturday, May 27 from 8 a.m.-noon at the Fort Frances Fire Hall.
There they will be promoting the importance of having an emergency plan, along with being prepared and having a family emergency survival kit.
