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We lead busy lives and as a result often times find ourselves thinking about emergency preparedness when it’s already too late.
 

It’s recommended that everyone should have the essentials on hand to be self-sufficient at home for at least 72 hours. 

 

A major power outage from a windstorm is not the time when you want to be stumbling in the dark trying to assemble an emergency kit.  

 

All this week is Emergency Preparedness Week in British Columbia – an opportunity for Ladysmith residents to check-in on how ready we are with the essentials on hand at home, in our vehicle and even at work for an unexpected event. 

The Town of Ladysmith has 5 tips to help you get on track for emergency preparedness: 

 

 

The Emergency Preparedness Workbook is a complete guide to making sure you’re ready when a disaster, big or small, strikes in our community. Personal preparedness is the foundation to success. When we all do our part to prepare for taking care of ourselves in emergencies or disasters, our ability to cope with trouble multiplies exponentially. 

 

The Workbook includes a 26 week guide to emergency preparedness, including tips such as:  identifying safe places, purchasing an emergency radio, and considering how objects around you could become hazards in the case of an earthquake. 

We’re confident you’ll find a few key takeaways. You can find the Emergency Preparedness Workbook here: https://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentCenter/View/84184/MIECM-Emergency-Preparedness-Workbook---2017?bidId=

 

We also have copies available at City Hall and will be happy to share them when our administrative offices reopen to the public. 

 

The Town’s email newsletter delivers the latest news releases, alerts, Council news and Parks, Recreation and Culture monthly news straight to your inbox. 

 

The newsletter is also the way to make sure you receive important information and updates from the Town during major weather events, outages or emergencies such as the recent Boil Water Advisory. 

Stay connected by signing up here: https://www.ladysmith.ca/newsletter

 

The Cowichan Valley Regional District’s CivicReady emergency alert system is another notification tool for reaching residents quickly when time is of the essence.  

 

You can choose to customize the CivicReady communication to be received through email, text and/or phone call according to your selections, and based on your address.

Both emergency and routine notifications are distributed through CivicReady.

Examples include severe weather alerts, evacuation alerts and orders, evacuation routes, road closures and school closures. Sign up here:

Prepare an Emergency Comfort Kit 

 

A major emergency or natural disaster could cause you to spend an extended time away from home -  you will want to have supplies ready in an emergency kit.

 

Spend time gathering items you’d keep in a personal grab 'n go kit such as water, personal medication, dust masks and gloves, personal papers and recent family photos. 

 

You can also create a separate car kit with many of the same items while also adding booster cables, flares, a flashlight, comfortable walking shoes and heavy-duty work gloves.
 

For a complete list of suggested items visit: https://www.cvrd.bc.ca/DocumentCenter/View/8485/Emergency-Comfort-Kits?bidId=

Take comfort knowing you’re prepared. 

 

 

Now that you’ve flipped through the Emergency Preparedness Workbook, signed up for the Town’s newsletter and CivicReady and maybe even started gathering together a comfort kit, it’s time to take the Emergency Preparedness Challenge Quiz. 

Hint: Having the workbook on hand will help answer some of the questions. 

 

 

We hope that by following these five tips you’re well on your way to be prepared next time our community experiences an emergency event. 

 

Have a tip or feedback on local emergency preparedness you’d like to let us know about? Email info@ladysmith.ca.