Emergencies can happen anytime, anywhere—and often without warning. As the City Vernon recognizes Emergency Preparedness Week, it is a reminder for the community to take proactive steps to prepare in case of an emergency such as wildfires, floods or other emergencies.
This annual awareness campaign is an opportunity for individuals and families to set aside time to make a plan, gather emergency supplies, and understand the risks specific to our region.
How to prepare
The City is encouraging everyone to take some time to consider their household readiness, and take some additional steps to be better prepared.
Emergency preparedness begins with three simple steps:
- Know the risks that are specific to our community and region
- Make a plan with everyone in your household
- Prepare an emergency kit with items such as food, water, medications and important documents. Ensure your kit is easily accessible and can sustain your family and pets for at least 72 hours.
Specific actions people can do now to be better prepared include:
- Make a list of important items that you would take with you if you were evacuated.
- Familiarize yourself with the additional living expenses clause in your insurance to understand the supports available if you are evacuated.
- Set up the BC Services Card App on your mobile device to help facilitate access to Emergency Support Services if required.
- Sign up for Alertable and follow City of Vernon.
To learn more about emergency preparedness plans and what other steps you can take this week, visit PreparedBC.ca or Getprepared.gc.ca.
How the City prepares for emergencies
The City of Vernon continues to strengthen its ability to respond to emergencies. This includes ongoing Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) training to ensure staff and volunteers are prepared to act swiftly when needed.
The City is also focused on flood and wildfire mitigation efforts, taking proactive steps to reduce risk throughout the community and protect residents. Recruitment is also underway for volunteers for the Emergency Support Services (ESS) program to bolster emergency response capabilities. To learn more, visit vernon.ca/ess.
Predator Ridge siren & Alert Ready testing
On Wednesday, May 7 at 1:55 PM PDT, the Alert Ready Emergency Alert System will be tested province-wide, sending notifications across televisions, radios, and compatible cell phones to ensure the system is functioning as intended.
At the same time, the City of Vernon will be testing its emergency siren in the Predator Ridge area, which will sound for approximately three minutes, alternating between high and low-pitch tones.
This siren is part of the City’s initiative to improve communication during wildfire evacuations. No action is required from the public during the siren test.