Emergency Preparedness Week: Are You Ready?

Emergency Preparedness Week is May 4-10, 2014. We all know that Vancouver is in an earthquake zone. In fact, there was an earthquake off the coast of Vancouver Island a couple of weeks ago that many of us felt in the city. This means that if you’re not ready for the Big One, now is a good time to prepare yourself and your family. After all, we can’t predict when the next earthquake will come, but we can get ready.

Emergency Preparedness Week Tips

The City of Vancouver wants you to know that preparing for an earthquake during Emergency Preparedness Week is actually pretty straightforward. There are three simple steps to follow:
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Know the risks: Understand the emergencies you and your family may face and what the risks might be. If you’re worried about zombies, for instance, you may want to read this info from the BC government.
Make a plan: Learn how to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe in the event of an emergency, and how to re-connect with each other afterward. Make sure everyone understands the plan.

Get an emergency kit: Emergency kits can help you survive for up to three days if you are evacuated or if you lose services like electricity, water or communications. Find out what to include here.

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The City of Vancouver also wants to know how to support you during Emergency Preparedness Week. To help them out, take their survey.

Preparedness Matters

Emergency Preparedness Week may not feel like the most exciting thing to talk about, but it’s important. People who are prepared for disasters survive and recover more quickly. Taking some basic precautions can make a big difference not just for you, but for your kids. You’ll feel better knowing that your loved ones are safe. If you need more help, consider attending one of the City of Vancouver’s free disaster planning workshops – sign up here.