This year Emergency Preparedness Week runs from May 5-11, the theme being Be Prepared. Know your risks is to encourage Albertans to understand the risks in their area and learn what actions they can take to protect themselves and their families.
Risks within the Beaver County region include natural hazards such as extreme heat, drought, flooding, hail, high winds, and tornados, as well power outages, and rail and highway accidents involving hazardous materials.
The Beaver Emergency Services Commission (BESC) Emergency Management Agency has been working to strengthen emergency preparedness within our communities over the past two years. BESC is a regional services commission, its member municipalities the towns of Tofield and Viking, the villages of Ryley and Holden, and Beaver County, have delegated responsibility for the direction and control of fire and emergency management within the Beaver County region to BESC.
The BESC Emergency Management Agency is responsible for BESC’s emergency program. The Agency exists to ensure that BESC is ready and capable of providing emergency management preparation, planning, response and recovery operations for communities within the Beaver County region.
In the past year BESC Agency held a tabletop exercise and a functional exercise to practice the emergency management program. A train derailment scenario was used for both exercises. BESC held an Emergency Social Services exercise. The focus of this exercise was to practice standing up an emergency evacuation centre.
Everyone has a role to play in an emergency. Getting prepared for emergencies before they happen can go a long way in helping you, your family, and your community stay safe.
This week, we encourage you to take concrete actions to be better prepared. Please do your part! Experience has shown that individual preparedness goes a long way to help people cope better – both during and after a major disaster. The following are a few simple steps to becoming better prepared:
Know the risks – Although the consequences of disasters can be similar, knowing the risks specific to our community and our region can help you better. Risks such as severe storms causing major power outages, flooding, and wildfires are examples.
Make a Plan – In an emergency, your family may not be together when a disaster occurs or you may be asked to evacuate. Have a plan including how to communicate and where to meet.
Prepare a 72-hour emergency kit – During an emergency, you will need basic supplies to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. You may have to ‘grab and go’ with little warning if a evacuation or a shelter in place order is issued. Keep in mind, power and tap water may not be available, and don’t forget supplies for your pets. Emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime, and during these events response agencies such as Police, Fire, and EMS will focus their initial efforts where the need is greatest, which is why individual emergency preparedness is so important.
Stay informed – Listen to local channels for updates. Have a portable radio with extra batteries or a crank radio in your 72-hour emergency kit. Download the Alberta Emergency Alert App, Visit the Beaver Emergency Services Commission website besc.ca or Beaver Emergency Services Commission on Facebook. Visit the following for many more resources to help you, your family, and your community prepare for all types of emergencies – getprepared.ca and alberta.ca/emergency-preparedness.
Remember to include your neighbours so everyone can take part in preparedness, response, and recovery.
