Videos
Watch these vidoes with your entire household to learn the basics of how to prepare for an emergency:
Emergency Preparedness for Your Family
Each year, thousands of people face emergency situations that could change their lives forever. Don't be caught off-guard. Know the hazards in your area and take the time to assemble your family emergency kit. During an emergency, you and your family could be on your own for an extended period of time. Emergency services may not be readily available, as increasing demands are placed on responders. Therefore, it may take emergency workers some time to get to you as they help those in most critical need. As well, access to phones, gas, water, sewer, and electrical services may be cut off. Learning how to be personally prepared is vital.
Download a variety of guides and other information Get Prepared Canada and PreparedBC.
For information about how to organize a Personal Emergency Preparedness briefing for your community or neighborhood, call our office (250-334-8890). In the meantime, download In It Together: Neighbourhood Preparedness Guide and get started.
Be sure to check out information regarding:
Emergency Preparedness Training
Emergency Preparedness Resources
Business/Critical Services Continuity Planning
Many organizations-businesses, governments, not-for-profit institutions, and non-governmental organizations-must be prepared to deliver products and services during an emergency or crisis event to satisfy needs both internal to the organization and to the public or community at large. It is critical, therefore, that these organizations have plans in place that will lead them to being able to continue operating during the event. Having a BCP enhances an organization's image with employees, shareholders, and customers by demonstrating a proactive attitude. Additional benefits include improvement in overall organizational efficiency and identifying the relationship of assets and human and financial resources to critical services and deliverables.
A Business/Critical Services Continuity Plan includes:
- plans, measures and arrangements to ensure the continuous delivery of critical services and products, which permits the organization to recover its facility, data and assets, and
- identification of necessary resources to support business continuity, including- personnel, information, equipment, financial allocations, legal counsel, infrastructure protection and accommodations.
Click here to visit Public Safety Canada's overview of Business Continuity Planning. Click here to download a template (MSWord) to help you develop a Business Continuity Plan for your enterprise.
Supplies
Emergency preparedness supplies such as First Aid kits and supplies for your home and business are available through a number of sources.
- St. John Ambulance—Comox Valley Branch: 1742 Cliffe Avenue, Suite 84, Courtenay
- Red Cross—Courtenay Office, 464 Puntledge Road, Courtenay
Living Water Smart
Living Water Smart is a BC government site designed to help residents plan and prepare during periods of water shortage.
Using Technology During a Disaster
We rely on technology more and more to keep in touch with our family, friends, and colleagues with a click of a button. But what happens in the event of a major emergency? Suddenly these tools can become vital in helping you and your family deal get in touch and stay informed. So here are some tips on the use of technology in an emergency:
- If possible, use non-voice channels like text messaging, email or social media. These use less bandwidth than voice communications and may work even when phone service doesn't.
- If you must use a phone, keep your conversation brief and convey only vital information to emergency personnel and/or family. This will also conserve your phone's battery.
- Unable to complete a call? Wait 10 seconds before redialing to help reduce network congestion. Note, cordless phones rely on electricity and will not work during a power outage. If you have a landline, keep at least one corded phone in your home.
- Keep extra batteries or a charger for your mobile device in your emergency kit. Consider getting a solar-powered, crank, or vehicle phone charger. If you don't have a cell phone, keep a prepaid phone card in your emergency kit.
- Keep your contacts up to date on your phone, email and other channels. This will make it easier to reach important contacts, such as friends, family, neighbours, child's school, or insurance agent.
- If you have a smartphone, save your safe meeting location(s) on its mapping application.
- Conserve your smartphone's battery by reducing the screen's brightness, placing your phone in airplane mode, and closing apps you are not using. You never know how long a power outage will last!
