Be prepared is not just the Scouts' motto.
In a town such as Sundre, which faces the threat of flooding, wildfires and severe weather events like powerful hailstorms and tornadoes, every resident should be ready for the possibility of a worst-case scenario.
With Emergency Preparedness Week coming up May 7-13, the town's directors of emergency management wanted to raise awareness regarding the steps people can take at home to be prepared in the event of a disaster.
"Some of the things we want people to know is their safety is our first priority ó that's the safety of everybody in the affected area or in town," said Kevin Heerema, Sundre's director of emergency management as well as the local peace officer.
"People need to know that we're going to give them as much notice as possible in the event of an evacuation. But evacuations can be immediate if the situation calls for it, so they should be aware of that."
To that end, Heerema encourages residents to prepare an emergency 72-hour kit that includes sufficient supplies for every member of the family, including any pets. These kits can be customized, he said.
"I've seen them in duffel bags and tot boxes."
Being sure to have handy a carrier for any pets is also recommended, he said.
A recommended minimum of two litres of drinking water per person per day should be in stock, plus another two litres per person per day for cooking and cleaning. Additionally, in case the order to evacuate immediately is given, people should also have a "to-go" kit such as a backpack in a closet ready to go at any given moment's notice, he said.
"Something that people often overlook is to include copies of personal documents."
Jim Hall, deputy director of emergency management, added that anyone on medications should be sure to have a several-day stock ready for emergencies.
At the very least, "if you have a copy of your prescriptions, then in the event where you've had to leave home and don't have your medications with you, you have a list of what you need," said Heerema.
Also extremely important for families to include in their emergency plans are muster points both in and out of the municipality, said Hall.
"My kids know when crap hits the fan that we're going to meet at X-Y-Z in town or X-Y-Z out of town in case of an evacuation."
That facilitates finding or at least knowing where to start looking for relatives in the aftermath of an evacuation, he said.
"If you're not organized, you're going to be panic-stricken."
Backup contacts outside of the emergency zone are also good to keep in mind in case cellphone towers go down or the power goes out, said Heerema.
More tips on getting ready for an emergency can be found by visiting www.mountainviewemergencymanagement.ca.
"We really require people to be either sheltered in place or evacuate with a kit and go, and make sure they keep themselves safe so we can do our job," said Hall.
"If for whatever reason we've got to move a group of seniors because they're ill at the hospital and Alberta Health's doing that and we're coordinating, we need the people who are able bodied to pick up, grab their kids, go to their muster, wherever they plan to go, so they're not part of the problem ó they're more a part of the solution."
