When the cabin pressure drops on an airplane, passengers are instructed to put their own mask on first before turning to help others.
You can’t help if you can’t breathe.
The same is true for emergency preparedness whether it is wildfire, flood or earthquake. Start with you and your own environment. Once you are as prepared as possible, you can be even more effective in your efforts to support your neighbourhood.
Awareness is the first step. Know the hazards that each potential disaster can bring, assess how prepared you are and learn how you can improve your situation. Help is available out there –– untold amounts.
Our own, SCRD is the best place to obtain information from the Sunshine Coast Emergency Program (SCEP).
Immediate actions are: know your hazards, make a plan; register for Voyent Alert; prepare a grab and go bag; build an emergency kit and FireSmart your home. These are clearly explained on the website.
You can also find ways to secure items in your house that could be a danger during an earthquake and learn what the level of flood risk is in your area through the Coastal Flood Mapping Project.
One document that helped me feel less overwhelmed, is “26 Weeks to Emergency Preparedness.” There have been many adaptations of this document. The SCRD does have it somewhere on their website but some other places to look are: City of Coquitlam (coquitlam.ca/316/26-Weeks-to-Emergency-Preparedness), the Delta Police Department and University of Victoria.
Start small, do your research, talk to others.
You might be surprised at who is already prepared and willing to offer help and advice and who is just a beginner, looking for a partner to share the journey on the road to preparedness.
