A flash of lightning, a spark from a trailer, a cigarette tossed from a window — these are all potential igniters for a wildfire that can spiral out of control in mere seconds.
This is Emergency Preparedness Week and several municipalities in southern Alberta are reminding residents to be ready for anything.
“You never know when you might be evacuated and be gone for a few days,” said Clayton Rutberg, the fire chief and director of protective services with the Town of Coaldale.
While the landlocked Lethbridge region is safe from hurricanes and tsunamis, dangers like tornadoes, wildfires, blizzards and other extreme weather events can create a sudden and severe emergency.
“There’s a lot of research that has shown Alberta’s residents aren’t as prepared as they should be for emergencies,” said Breea Tamminga, coordinator of emergency management with Lethbridge County.
Even man-made disasters could strike in a heartbeat. The Town of Coaldale conducted a simulated emergency scenario of a biohazard spill on Tuesday.
“We’re simulating about half of the town being evacuated right now, so it’s a lot of work logistically with how we would provide those services to residents to make sure they’re taken care of,” said Rutberg.
He says regular drills ensure everyone is ready for the real deal.
“It tests our incident management team and our ability to develop an incident action plan to basically carry out a response to ensure community safety during an emergency or large-scale disaster.”
While mock disasters help emergency responders, a simple plan at home can reduce confusion or panic for families.
“Having pets changes what an evacuation kit or 72-hour kit looks like. So does having children, so does having dependent adults in the house. Those are changes to both the plans and the products you would have in your 72-hour kits. So, we like to chat with people and hear what their circumstances are, then that way we can provide some guidance or support,” said Jamie Anderson, emergency planning administrator with the City of Lethbridge.
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Lethbridge County says it’s ideal to plan for multiple types of disasters, because you never know where you might be when one occurs.
“I always recommend three different emergency kits. One is that kit you’re going to use if you have to leave your house unexpectedly. One is going to be a kit you’re going to use if you have to shelter in place at your house. Then, another one (is for) your car.”
She says a safe plan doesn’t have to cost a fortune, either.
“The reality is, it’s going to be way more costly if we’re underprepared. Even getting supplies for emergency kits from the dollar store, often times we can put things together for less than $100.”
Anderson says some emergencies aren’t always widespread, so planning for the unforeseen can be a challenge.
“If you work in the downtown core and your house and child care are on the west side, we’ve been known to have some bridge outages or accidents on the bridge. What does the plan look like in order to provide care if your daycare centre or day home’s hours end? Do you have a neighbour or a friend who can pick up your child who is on the west side, or vice-versa? We’ve got people working on the west side who live on the north or south side here.”
She says it’s important to tailor your emergency plan for yourself, your family and anyone else living in your residence.
Meanwhile, Tamminga says an insurance plan is also crucial to have before problems arise.
“Double-check your insurance policies to make sure you know what you’re covered for in the event of an emergency.”
While emergency situations can last longer than 72-hours, Anderson says that is typically enough time to bridge the gap between disaster and relief becoming available.
“That’s kind of that basic necessities of life that bleed into have external resources that can provide those things. We also look at recommendation of two weeks, or 14 days for a shelter-in-place. That’s having some canned goods on hand, if you have dietary considerations, baby formula or diapers, those sorts of things that would be needed, we recommend become part of your personal kits as well.”
At the municipal level, the Town of Coaldale’s mayor, Jack Van Rijn, says collaboration between communities is crucial for everyone.
“In Lethbridge County, we have mutual partners and we have mutual aide agreements… we’re here to help each other in case of any type of emergency,” said Van Rijn.
He also stresses the importance of staying away from emergency situations so the authorities can safely work.
“It’s vital that (people) stay away from the active scene because what happens is they block intersections, they impede the flow of traffic, emergency vehicle traffic to the scene. At the end of the day, that costs time and causes more damage and even, potentially, loss of life.”
Specifically in Lethbridge, residents seeking additional information about how to prepare for emergencies are encouraged to call 3-1-1.
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