Emergency preparedness week – are you ready?

REGION OF WATERLOO – This year, Emergency Preparedness Week runs from May 5-11 and local municipalities, emergency services and utility companies want to make sure you are ready in the event of an emergency.

“Being prepared is of importance year-round, but this is the week that we highlight some of the areas we want people to focus on,” said Steve LaRochelle, manager of emergency management and business continuity for the City of Kitchener. “Being ready means; knowing the risks, having supplies and tools to deal with those risks, and having a plan to escape your home or business.”

Residents can learn more by attending informative events through the month

May 6-11: Information display at the North Dumfries Community Complex
May 6-9: Information booth at Cambridge Centre, 355 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge
May 7, 7-10 p.m.: CanWarn Weather Watchers Training Course, RIM Park, 2001 University Ave E, Waterloo (Forbes Room) – This is a Free event and sign up through Snapd
May 11, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: WRPS Open House, 200 Maple Grove Road, Cambridge
May 25, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Public Works Open House, 1310 Bishop St. N, Cambridge
May 30, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Woolwich CAER Open House, 24 Snyder St. S, Elmira

There is also excellent information about being prepared on www.AlertWR.ca. Alert Waterloo Region is a local service that provides important public safety messages in the event of large scale emergencies such as floods, severe weather, or significant power outages. Notifications can be delivered to home phones, mobile phones, text and email.

The AlertWR system has a basic database of home phone numbers, however, residents are encouraged to self register in order to select their preferred method of contact as well as the area(s) they would like to receive safety messages for (e.g. home, work or child’s school).

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For more information:

Steve LaRochelle

Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity

City of Kitchener

519-741-2200 x 5556

Steve.LaRochelle@kitchener.ca

Gina Cliffe

Manager of Community Emergency Planning

City of Cambridge

519-740-4681 x 4780

cliffeg@cambridge.ca