Emergency Preparedness Week May 1-7

It is Emergency Preparedness Week.

Again this year, we have brought together some of the people who take charge when there’s an ice storm, or a tornado or a chemical spill to walk us through how we can best be ready; how we can make it easier on ourselves, our families and those who are trying to put things right again.

We’ll talk about what to do and what not to do when there’s a tornado warning, how to say safe in a lightning storm, having a 72-hour survival kit and more.

Click here for more emergency preparedness advice from the County of Simcoe.

FRIDAY – There is a team of emergency personnel standing by, ready to jump into action and take charge in the event of a tornado, a chemical spill, an ice storm or some other disaster. They have a central operations centre where they can meet en masse, or can connect remotely to assess a situation and determine what needs to be done. Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Weber is in charge in Barrie…

We were not able to get this in our on-air reports this week, but wanted to touch on school lockdowns, hold and secure and shelter-in-place situations. The County’s Cathy Clark says knowing what to expect when one of these safety measures is put in place is half the battle…

THURSDAY  Lightning storms are fun to watch and fun to listen to with the accompanying thunder but they can be vicious and should not be taken lightly. Simcoe County Manager of 911 and Emergency Planning, Cathy Clark, with advice on what to do and what not to do when a thunderstorm hits…

We talked early in the week about the importance of having a home emergency kit at the ready. Today, we talk about a kit in the car: some canned goods and water, blankets in case you need to keep warm and Cathy Clark, Simcoe County’s Manager of 9111 and Emergency Planning has a nifty all-in-one tool she keeps in the glove box…

WEDNESDAY  Tornado season beckons. There will be watches and warnings issued. They may come in droves on the same day causing some to become complacent, especially if a tornado never materializes. Cathy Clark, Simcoe County’s Manager of 911 and Emergency Planning says as exhausting as the watches and warnings may be they need to be taken seriously, and you need to know what to do when a warning is issued…

TUESDAY  We opened our series of reports Monday with the need to have a plan – knowing what you and your family will do, where you will meet, where you will go in the event of a major emergency. Today we focus on the kit emergency officials recommend you have to see you through at least 72 hours. We saw that need arise for many during the recent ice storm. Barrie Deputy Fire Jeff Weber talks about the obvious and not so obvious items and runs down a checklist to run through should you have to leave your home…

MONDAY We start with Clearview Township Fire Chief Colin Shewell, who says above all else, you need to have a plan…