National Emergency Preparedness Week starts next week (May 2nd to 8th) and local municipalities, emergency services and utility companies are using it to ensure people living in Waterloo Region are ready for any emergency.
“As we all continue to navigate through the ever-changing landscape of this pandemic, being ready for anything has been the constant,” said Diane Schofield, Manager of Emergency Management with the Region of Waterloo.
“We encourage everyone to do a spring refresh of their 72-hour emergency kits, update family emergency plans, and practice those plans when you can. Being prepared will make all the difference when lightning strikes.”
Virtual events and educational tools include:
- A City of Cambridge public education campaign on 91.5 The Beat and 107.5 Dave Rocks with grand prizes at the end of the week.
- A Facebook Live event with Children’s Safety Village about emergency preparedness and fire safety on Wednesday, May 5th at 10:00 am.
- Wednesday, May 5 – City of Waterloo (Waterloo Fire Rescue) will have virtual sessions for elementary school students about emergency preparedness throughout the week, as arranged by local schools.
- Thursday, May 6 at 1 p.m. – Facebook Live Aerial Truck tour and Q&A with the Kitchener Fire department. Learn what happens when fire fighters arrive at a multi-story building fire.
- The Township of North Dumfries will offer an emergency preparedness display at the Foodland grocery store in Ayr, and created an emergency kit video
- Learn more about kits and flood safety with the Township of Wilmot
- Preparedness tips on www.alertwr.ca
Part of being ready is staying informed about potential hazards or emergencies in your area. Residents are encouraged to subscribe to AlertWR at www.alertwr.ca/subscribe to receive important public safety messages in the event of large-scale emergencies.
For more information, contact:
Steve LaRochelle
Manager, Emergency Management & Business Continuity
City of Kitchener
Steve.LaRochelle@kitchener.ca
Nicolaas Jonkman
Emergency Management and Business Continuity Advisor
Waterloo Regional Police Service
Nicolaas.jonkman@wrps.on.ca