Haligonians urged to be ‘be ready for anything’ as HRM marks Emergency Preparedness Week

If you lost your home to a fire, would you know your insurance policy number?

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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It’s Emergency Preparedness Week and Haligonians are being urged to “be ready for anything.”

Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency’s division chief of emergency management said the last two years have shown us just how important that is.

“Not only the pandemic, but severe weather events, whether it be winter or summer. We’ve had a bit of flooding, we’ve had people stuck in vehicles in storms, fires, we’ve seen everything,” Erica Fleck said.

“Hurricane season … is not that far away, extreme heat, people being forced to stay in their homes for self-isolation. We have to be ready for the full gamut.”

She told CityNews Halifax, we need to think of the things we’d need if an emergency required us to stay in our homes when the power goes out, like during a severe weather situation.

HRM recommends having supplies on hand to be self-sufficient for 72 hours. In a winter storm, this includes a supply of blankets or sleeping bags for warmth.

“Having a good old-fashioned can opener to be able to open things … solar-powered or battery-powered radios and flashlights,” she explained.

If you must use candles, never leave them unattended.

Crews have had to respond to occasional house fires during large power outages because people weren’t being safe, or forgot to turn off and unplug an appliance they were using when the electricity went out.

We should also be prepared for a scenario that would require us to quickly evacuate.

“Have a kit ready,” she suggested. “I’ve seen so many fires where people don’t know the name of their insurance company for example, or don’t have a policy number … so have a list and store it somewhere.”

Fleck said it’s easy to keep this on a memory stick or in your phone. You can also take screenshots and email the information to yourself, which is why a portable phone charger/power bank is also a good idea.

Kits will need to be personalized for each family’s situation, for example, some people may need prescription medications, infant formula and diapers, and don’t forget about your pets. They’ll need food, water and medications.

And Fleck said something to keep your family occupied goes a long way during a power outage or at an evacuation centre, so put a deck of cards or a colouring book and some crayons in your emergency kit.

Emergency preparedness can be different depending on where you live.

For instance, if you’re in a rural area with well water and there’s a drought, you’ll need to make sure you have enough water to drink, bath, cook and flush toilets.

“If you live right along the coast, storm surge is an issue,” Fleck explained. “The Lawrencetown Road for example … that road is usually closed a few times a year for debris coming across.”

And if you rely on a keyless entry system to get inside your home, that may not work during a power outage. If you live in a high rise without a backup generator, you may need to climb up a lot stairs to get to your apartment or condo.

Fleck said those living in the suburbs tend to know their neighbours, but that’s not always the case in apartment buildings.

“We would really encourage people to know their neighbours by name,” she stated.

“There are a lot of elderly people moving into the core areas and moving into apartments, and that’s concerning if they can’t get out of the apartment and we don’t know.”

Fleck hopes Haligonians will consider signing up for hfxALERT, the municipality’s mass notification system.

Her department is running a contest this week where residents have the chance to win one of 10 emergency kits.

Anyone who correctly answers all the questions of an emergency preparedness quiz will be entered to win.