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Residents urged to have emergency plans

It takes planning and education to prepare households for a potential emergency.

It takes planning and education to prepare households for a potential emergency.

Communities across Canada are providing information to residents to promote safety and the importance of being prepared in homes nationwide during Emergency Preparedness Week, May 7 to 13.

Okotoks fire chief Ken Thevenot said it’s an important week for emergency services personnel to educate the public and spread awareness.

“The theme this year is ‘Plan. Prepare. Be Aware,’” said Thevenot. “It’s meant for individuals to take action, to protect themselves and their families during emergencies.”

To help area residents develop their emergency plans, the Okotoks Fire Department is hosting an open house on May 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the fire hall on Milligan Drive. There will be a free barbecue and Sparky the fire dog will be there to meet children. Firefighters will be on-hand to provide information and answer questions, and the department will be displaying its emergency gear.

“We’ll have some equipment we want to showcase, like some of our flood preparedness equipment, being that floods is one of our top things we do prepare for in our community,” said Thevenot. “We’ll have sandbagging machines, our rescue boat and some other diking equipment.”

The department will also raffle off a 72-hour emergency kit, which includes essential items all families should have on-hand when disaster strikes. Kits should include sufficient water, medications, first-aid supplies, canned and prepared foods, batteries, and back-up wireless chargers for cellular devices for communication, he said.

The Alberta government recommends also packing changes of clothes, bedding, lights and fuel, copies of important legal documents in waterproof containers, personal toiletries and small games or toys in case the emergency requires leaving home in a hurry and for an unspecified length of time.

“It’s important people plan for emergencies like power outages, ice storms, snow storms, anything that could affect them and their home,” said Thevenot. “People need to make sure they have a plan. If we have to evacuate our community for whatever reason, they need to have a plan in place.”

Planning is also important for rural residents, who could also be affected by natural disasters and other emergencies.

Foothills Fire Chief Jim Smith said the primary concern in the MD is to prepare against wildfire.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is on May 6, and the Foothills Fire Department is working to put together information for FireSmart Communities – a network of individuals and organizations working to prevent wildfire.

“This will allow homeowners to put out general information to their neighbours to create a wildfire or fire safe community, especially in our western area, but basically in all our areas,” said Smith.

Generally, rural residents should ensure trees around the home are cut back to at least 30 metres and decrease the amount of storage immediately adjacent to the home, he said.

Homeowners could also look at treating cedar shake or replacing the shingles with asphalt or other materials, he said.

“These basic housekeeping issues are really important to protect people and homes,” said Smith. “Minimize trees, keep the lawn mowed and well-watered around the house.”

He said residents are reminded to call 911 immediately any time uncontrolled fire or smoke is seen in the MD. It can take a while to get crews mustered and sent out to remote areas, so the sooner the call comes in the better, he said.

Residents should also be mindful of burning on their property to help prevent wildfires, he said. Burning permits are permitted in the MD of Foothills when there is not a fire ban, and they are good for up to five days free of charge. They can be acquired by applying online, or phoning a fire guardian or the Foothills Fire Department, he said.

Burns should not be conducted when the wind is above 12 km/h, they should be supervised constantly, and there should always be some sort of firefighting equipment on-hand, he said. It’s also important that burn areas or burn barrels are surrounded by non-flammable debris like gravel or sand, he said.

“We’ve seen a lot in the past where people have grass growing right up next to a burn barrel, and a spark or an ember jumps out and starts the grass on fire, and the next thing you know we have a big grass fire,” said Smith. “That can spread quickly, and especially on days that are windy it’s incredibly hard to fight those fires.”

For more information about preparedness plans and kits, call the Okotoks Fire Department at 403-948-4600. The Foothills Fire Department can be reached at 403-603-3571.

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