Tag: emergency preparedness

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Emergency Preparedness Week: READY FOR ANYTHING!

Hey everyone, it’s Emergency Preparedness Week and we’re posting some great resources to help you stay prepared for emergencies!

This year’s campaign is all about being ready for anything — and you can share how you’re preparing (and help others in the process!) by participating in the Government of Canada social media campaign in support of Emergency Preparedness Week! Get creative, have fun, and get ready for anything:

Participate in our tag challenge or enter to win an emergency kit.

Be a positive influence within your networks by participating in our tag challenge. Show us your best emergency preparedness tip in a video or photo, and tag 3 or your friends or family and ask them to share their tip.

You can also win an emergency preparedness kit. Simply tell us how how you’re helping to make you and your family better prepared to cope during an emergency, and use the hashtag #ReadyforAnything.

It can be as simple as making an emergency kit with items found around your home, creating a family emergency plan, or becoming more informed about the hazards in your area. Get creative and post those messages, photos, or videos!

Don’t forget to use the hashtags #EPWeek2022 and #ReadyforAnything.

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/ep-wk/index-en.aspx

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Seasonal Safety

Hey everyone, welcome to Health & Safety Month 2022! Today, we’re looking at how to be safe in the coming season.

Seasonal hazards happen more often at specific times of year, like with flooding in the Spring and with wildfires in the Summer. Planning what to do when there’s a hazard (like an air or water quality advisory) or an emergency (like a wildfire) can be scary. To lighten up the planning, take a page out of the Province’s book and pretend to plan for a Zombie Apocalypse! If you’re prepared for Zombies, you’re prepared for an emergency. (Who says Health & Safety can’t be fun?!)

While it’s always good to be prepared for “big” emergencies, like the Zombie Apocalypse, it’s also important to be prepared for “everyday” hazards, like water and air quality problems and heat waves, that can affect your health.

OUR WATER:

Changes to our drinking water quality can happen for many reasons. Extra material in our water (like from flooding) or breakdowns to facilities and equipment that make water safe can result in warnings about water quality. It’s important to pay attention to news about water quality, like a Boil Water Advisory, in your area. You can find out more about the three kinds of water quality notifications, what triggers them, and what actions to take here. You can also find a drinking water advisory map for Interior Health region here.

OUR AIR:

Changes to our air quality can also affect our health. Like with water quality, there are many things that can change the quality of the air, like extra material (from smoke and fires) and different types of particles (like ozone). Pay attention to news about air quality in your area the same way you would for water quality. You can find out more about the Air Quality Health Index, which is how good the air quality is at any time, here. You can also find out what air quality alerts are issued here.

SUMMER HEAT:

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Fire Safety – new program

Hey everyone, there’s a pilot program taking place in Kelowna to help residents make their properties more fire-safe and reduce the impact of wildfire on the community by offering free removal and chipping of specific woody debris. Check it out!

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Gearing up for winter PART 3…

Hey everyone, we have posted about driving safety and about home maintenance to prepare for winter — and to finish off our series on “gearing up for winter” we are sharing information about extreme weather!

While there are benefits to being able to be outdoors enjoying winter activities, it’s important to be aware of the dangers of winter cold. This article posted on the Government of Canada website talks about extreme cold, and the factors that may make some people more vulnerable than others. It’s important to know about windburn, frostbite, and hypothermia, as well as how to mitigate these risks.

You can also be prepared for different kinds of winter weather (including storms). There is an article here that touches on winter storm preparedness, equipment, and cleanup.

Stay safe!

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Fire Prevention Week!

Hey everyone, it’s Fire Prevention Week! The National Fire Protection Association theme this year is LEARN THE SOUNDS OF FIRE SAFETY, and they have a great resource that helps explain the sounds you may hear coming from your smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarm. You can download it below. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions page here.

FPW21ThemeSafetyTipSheetDownload

There’s also this page with helpful ideas for those who may need a different kind of alarm.

The City of Kelowna has a great fire prevention webpage full of information and resources, as well as a helpful videos from the Kelowna Fire Department that explain smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements and maintenance, and kitchen fire safety. Check those out below!

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Gearing up for winter PART 2…

Hey everyone, we posted last week about being prepared for winter conditions when you drive — and this week we are sharing resources to prepare your home for winter conditions!

There are many lists of home maintenance tasks available online that will help you get your home ready for winter, like this one from CBC News, this one from the Government of Canada website about keeping the heat in, this one on the Home Depot website, or this one from the David Suzuki Foundation that focusses on making your home energy efficient for winter.

Most resources agree, by doing some proactive maintenance tasks in advance of freezing weather you can prevent damage and stay safe over the winter.

Stay safe!

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Coping with Natural Disaster stress…

Hey everyone, CLBC’s August 27th update had some great information and resources to help cope with stress caused by natural disasters. Wildfires and floods can be a major source of stress and anxiety. If you are feeling stressed or anxious, know that you are not alone. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has a website dedicated to information and resources to help.

There are also free, confidential support and crisis lines available 24/7:

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