Emergency Preparedness Week

As we have learned in past years after watching the flooding in our regional area and in many parts of Muskoka, a disaster can strike at any time, and at any place.  You could be asked to evacuate your home within hours from some type of natural disaster.  Tornadoes, ice storms or winter blizzards can leave communities without power for days, sometimes weeks.  Are you prepared in case of an emergency?

This is what Emergency Preparedness Week is all about.  May 2 through 8th, the week is all about getting people to consider what they would do in the event of some type of a natural disaster and to be prepared the best you can be for any type of situation that might occur.

The County of Simcoe advises you to make emergency plans that identify what to do, where to go, and how to contact family members in the event of a disaster.

Also, to prepare an emergency kit that allows your family to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours. Your family’s emergency preparedness kit should include: Non-perishable food and bottled water, crank or battery operated radio, flashlight and batteries, first aid kit, extra keys, copies of important documents, cash, clothing and footwear, blankets or sleeping bags, toilet paper and toiletries, medication, whistle, and playing cards.

For communication updates when the power is out and when cell phone circuits are overloaded, or down completely remember your battery radio can receive radio stations even when the power is out.  ROCK 95 has emergency contingency plans to be able to continually broadcast throughout a natural disaster.  Your radio can provide you with updates on the latest news of what’s happening in the community as the disaster unfolds, and can give you vital information you may need to keep safe.

For more info on what you should pack into an emergency kit, click here.