Spring Floods Remind Residents to Always Be Ready
Ontario Marks Emergency Preparedness Week from May 5-11
This Emergency Preparedness Week, Ontario is urging residents to plan ahead for an emergency and take three simple steps to prepare themselves: Make a plan, pack an emergency kit, and stay informed.
The Honorable Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General of Ontario, stood in the Legislative Assembly today with a reminder that emergencies can happen to anyone, often without warning, and being prepared can go a long way towards building the resilience of communities, families and individuals.
“Nobody likes to imagine what would happen if an emergency were to strike their home or community, but the reality is that many people in Ontario have been affected by ice storms, floods, forest fires and other types of emergencies. In fact, there are people right now in our communities who have had to leave their homes because of spring flooding. I urge everyone in Ontario to learn what they can do to be prepared to keep themselves and their families safe.” said Jones.
Emergency partners across the province, including municipalities, fire services and others, are marking Emergency Preparedness Week with community awareness events.
“Now is the optimal time to learn about the risks that are present in your community and take steps to ensure you know what to do, where to go and where to get information in an emergency,” said Jon Pegg, Ontario’s Fire Marshal and Chief of Emergency Management. “Preparedness is everyone’s responsibility, and we have many tools available to help residents, businesses and other stakeholders plan ahead.”
Many professionals in Ontario assist their fellow citizens when emergencies strike.
“On behalf of our government, I express my appreciation and thanks to our fellow citizens who respond when emergencies happen,” said Jones. “To the police, paramedics, firefighters, members of the Canadian Forces, staff in the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, municipalities and their staff, and many others, our message today is simple: thank you.”
Quick Facts
Ontario and Quebec have both postponed participation in the Alert Ready test originally scheduled to take place across Canada on May 8, 2019, due to the high number of ongoing flood-related emergencies throughout the provinces.
In addition to spring flooding, over the past year Ontario has experienced the worst forest fire season on record and six tornados touched down in Ottawa, emphasizing the need for Ontarians to learn about emergency preparedness.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love