News Release - April 15, 2016

Emergency Preparedness Week in Oceanside

Emergency Preparedness Week is an annual event held across Canada to encourage Canadians to be prepared personally, as an individual, a family and in the workplace. In 2016, the week is recognized as May 1 to May 7.

Are you prepared for an emergency? Do you know the risks? Do you have a plan?

Disasters may be beyond our control, but there are ways to reduce the risk and the impact of whatever emergency we might face. Residents and business owners are encouraged to join Oceanside Emergency Management in taking action to be prepared. Emergencies can strike at any time, with very little warning and will no time to make plans about where to go and what to do. Being prepared is critical since it can take time for help to arrive.

Here are some of the challenges you might face in an emergency:

• You may not have the opportunity to gather the resources you need.
• Family members may be in different locations when the event occurs.
• Communication networks may break down.
• It is possible that electricity, water or gas service to your home will be disrupted.
• Roads could be blocked or closed.
• Regular sources of food, water and gasoline might not be available.

By taking a few simple steps, you can become better prepared to face a range of emergencies. It is important to:

• Know the risks - although the consequences of disasters can be similar, knowing the risks specific to our community and our region will help you be better prepared.
• Make a plan - being prepared ahead of time will help you cope with an emergency more effectively and enable you to make a faster recovery.
• Prepare a kit - assemble an emergency kit with items to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of an emergency. Ideally you will have a 72 hour basic emergency kit, vehicle emergency kit and if required, a pet emergency kit. Kits should be checked at least once each year and a good time to do this is during EP week.

Other Emergency Management Oceanside events related to emergency preparedness include:

Emergency Preparedness Expo 2016 - Saturday, May 14, 8 am to 3 pm

Hosted by Emergency Management Oceanside, this event features displays, workshops, demonstrations, opportunities to learn about the challenges faced in an emergency and how to be better prepared. Local emergency services and agencies will be available to answer your questions. The Parksville-Qualicum Shrine Club will serve a pancake breakfast from 8-10 am and the Nanaimo and District Shrine Club will be on site for lunch from 11 am to 2 pm.

Quake Cottage at Family Day, Sunday, May 29

Sponsored by the Insurance Bureau of Canada and Emergency Management Oceanside, the Quake Cottage simulator will be at Family Day in Qualicum Beach on Sunday, May 29. A 'ride' in Quake Cottage simulates the feeling of a major earthquake; a chance to experience the virtual reality of an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.

For more information, contact emergency program coordinators:

Rob Daman	Town of Qualicum Beach	250 752-6232	rdaman [at] qualicumbeach.com (rdaman[at]qualicumbeach[dot]com)
Aaron Dawson	City of Parksville	250 954-4672	adawson [at] parksville.ca (adawson[at]parksville[dot]ca)
Jani Drew	Regional District of Nanaimo	250 390-6526	jdrew [at] rdn.bc.ca (jdrew[at]rdn[dot]bc[dot]ca)