Emergency Preparedness Week 2015 – Know the Risks. Reduce them Together!
Each year during the first full week of May, Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) is held all across Canada. This annual national event is coordinated by Public Safety Canada, in close collaboration with the provinces and territories and partners, including The Salvation Army. This year is the 20th annual EP Week and the theme is “Know the Risks. Reduce them Together!”
Officials estimate that it can take up to 72 hours or more before first responders can reach you, if the unthinkable happens. This means that every person should plan to be self-sufficient for at least this period of time. The website getprepared.ca has very valuable tools to assist Canadians. There are three important steps: Know the Risks, Make a Plan, Get a Kit.
“Having been deployed to numerous large-scale emergencies on behalf of The Salvation Army, I have seen first-hand the devastation that can be caused by fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, to name just a few”, says Perron Goodyear, Divisional Director of Emergency & Disaster Services for the Ontario Great Lakes Division of The Salvation Army. “I have had the privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with amazing first responders who risk so much to help those whose lives have been affected. I have worked closely with men and women from the Army as well as other NGO’s who leave family and friends to help others during a crisis. However, the more prepared individuals are, the better the overall response is.”
Volunteers work hard at food preparation for first responders and victims of outplacement.
A Salvation Army Canteen truck serves first responders on scene at a disaster.
Ontario Great Lakes Divisional EDS Director Perron Goodyear on the scene.