Winnipeg, MB - The City of Winnipeg is encouraging citizens to use Emergency Preparedness Week to learn about planning ahead for emergencies. The annual event takes place during the first full week of May and encourages the public to be prepared to manage on their own for at least the first 72 hours of an emergency, enabling first responders to focus on those in urgent need. This year’s theme is Plan. Prepare. Be Aware.
“Winnipeg has some of the world’s best first responders who are ready to assist us in an emergency situation, but we all have an important role to play in emergency preparedness,” said Jason Shaw, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Assistant Chief of Emergency Management. “We need to be able to look after ourselves for the first 72 hours while our police, fire fighters and paramedics, tend to those in urgent need. I’m encouraging all Winnipeggers to use Emergency Preparedness Week as a time to learn how to plan, prepare and be aware.”
During Emergency Preparedness Week the City will help connect citizens to important emergency preparedness information found on the City’s EmergWeb website as well as providing tips on how to build an Emergency Preparedness 72 Hour Kit that can sustain a family during the first 72 hours of an emergency.
Shaw added: “The City takes an all hazards approach to emergency management and we regularly test our preparedness for a variety of scenarios. But we need the public to be prepared to be independent during the first 72 hours of an emergency. Planning ahead for an emergency can be a family project and Emergency Preparedness Week is the perfect time to work on your family’s emergency plan and 72 hour kit.”
City of Winnipeg - Emergency Preparedness Week Events
Emergency Preparedness 72 Hour Kit Display
When: Monday, May 8 to Friday, May 12
Where: City Hall - Administration Lobby, 510 Main Street (display accessible during 311 Service Centre operating hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday)
Come see a complete Emergency Preparedness Supplies Kit on display and learn more about what items you should include in your family’s kit.
Daily Email Series: Emergency Preparedness Tips
When: Monday, May 8 to Friday, May 12
Where: Your computer or smart phone
Join the City’s Emergency Preparedness Email List and receive daily emergency preparedness tips between May 8 and May 10.
For more information on National Emergency Preparedness Week, visit GetPrepared.ca.