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Your Halton Connection May 2011 www.halton.ca 31 Independent & Free Press, Thursday, April 28, 2011 Emergencies happen. Expect the unexpected. Then plan for it. by Regional Chair Gary Carr Prepare your Go-Kit A basic kit includes: 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 ?AIN?AIBSDDCJ @?E RM FMJB RFC IGR GRCKQ $J?QFJGEFR ?RRCPW MNCP?RCB MP AP?LI P?BGM 1N?PC @?RRCPGCQ $GPQRÌGB )GR !?LBJCQ ?LB K?RAFCQJGEFRCP #VRP? A?P ICWQ ?LB A?QF 'KNMPR?LR N?NCPQ GBCLRGÍA?RGML GLQSP?LAC $MMB ?LB U?RCP ­ ?Q KSAF ?Q WMS A?L A?PPW +?LS?J A?L MNCLCP J?LICRQ MP QJCCNGLE @?EQ &WEGCLC GRCKQ !JMRFGLE ?LB DMMRUC?P 5FGQRJC .J?WGLE A?PBQ OSGCR E?KCQ 1NCAG?J LCCBQ GRCKQ ­ KCBGA?RGMLQ @?@W DMMB MP COSGNKCLR DMP NCMNJC UGRF BGQ?@GJGRGCQ 5 #KCPECLAW NJ?L ...or buy one 7MS A?L @SW ?L CKCPECLAW IGR MLJGLC @W RCJCNFMLC MP DPMK JMA?J PCR?GJCPQ 4GQGR www.halton.ca/beprepared DMP KMPC GLDMPK?RGML ?LB RM BMULJM?BMPBCP SQCDSJ PCQMSPACQ QSAF ?Q MSP .CPQML?J #KCPECLAW .PCN?PCBLCQQ %SGBC ?LB TGBCM ?LB MSP N?KNFJCR QCPGCQ DMP NCMNJC UGRF QNCAG?J LCCBQBGQ?@GJGRGCQ 2FCQC PCQMSPACQ ?PC ?JQM ?T?GJ?@JC ?R 0CEGML?J ?LB *MA?J +SLGAGN?J EMTCPLKCLR MDÍACQ ?LB D?AGJGRGCQ MP RFPMSEF AACQQ &?JRML Step 2. Make a Plan You and your family need a plan to know what to do in case of an emergency. Your family may not be together when an emergency occurs. Talk about how or where to meet or how to contact one another and plan what you would do in different situations. Make an escape plan for your home and learn about sheltering-in-place. Keep your plan in an easy-to-find, easy-to-remember place (for example, with your Go-Kit). 2FC !MKKSLGRW #KCPECLAW Photocopy your ,MRGÍA?RGML 1CPTGAC !#,1 GQ plan and keep it &?JRML 0CEGMLhQ CKCPECLAW in your car and/ RCJCNFMLC LMRGÍA?RGML QWQRCK or at work. Review 'R UGJJ @C SQCB GL RFC CTCLR MD ? and use our K?HMP BGQ?QRCP MP A?R?QRPMNFC Personal Emergency RM AMKKSLGA?RC SNB?RCQ ?@MSR Preparedness Guide CKCPECLAW AMLBGRGMLQ UF?R RM for tips. BM UFCPC RM EM MP MRFCP TGR?J GLDMPK?RGML !#,1 QSNNJCKCLRQ Set 3. @SR BMCQ LMR PCNJ?AC Get a Kit GLDMPK?RGML WMShJJ PCACGTC DPMK RCJCTGQGML P?BGM ?LB MRFCP In an emergency, QMSPACQ !#,1 GQ RCQRCB ?LLS?JJW you will need some basic supplies. Make a Go-Kit for your house, car, pets or service animals in case you need to evacuate. Make sure your Go-Kit is easy to carry and everyone in the household knows where it is. You may also need to cope in your home without power or running water. Be prepared to be selfsufficient for at least 72 hours. This will allow emergency responders to focus their attention on the emergency situation itself. Emergency Preparedness Week, May 1 to 7, 2011, is a Canada-wide initiative to increase awareness about individual and family preparedness. From April 29 to May 31, 2011, visit www.ontario.ca/beprepared and Take the Challenge, an online Emergency Preparedness Quiz. Let's see if we can beat last year's record of 321 entries and show we are the most prepared community in Ontario! Emergency preparedness starts with you. Whether it's a chemical spill, power outage, or a natural disaster such as a tornado, we all need to be prepared because emergencies can happen, any time and any place. In Halton, our emergency response partners work together to assume a coordinated approach to the planning and management of emergencies. Halton Region, the Halton Regional Police Service, the City of Burlington, the Town of Halton Hills, the Town of Milton, and the Town of Oakville plan together to address emergency management issues. Our goal is to ensure Halton is a disaster resilient community. Working together, we have implemented an extensive Emergency Management Program that incorporates five phases ­ prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. We are prepared. However, while governments and partners at all levels work hard to keep residents safe, individuals also have an important role to play. Are you prepared? Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility. Learn how to deal with emergencies and minimize the impact to your family. Residents need to be prepared to cope on their own for at least the first 72 hours of an emergency, while fire, police and paramedics help those in desperate need. Being prepared really is your best defence. Take three steps to protect yourself and your family from all types of emergencies. Halton Region Meeting Schedule May 3, 9:30 a.m. May 4, 9:30 a.m. May 4, 1:30 p.m. May 4, 1:45 p.m. May 11, 9:30 a.m. May 23 May 24 9:30 a.m. May 25, 9:30 a.m. May 25, 10:00 a.m. May 25, 1:30 p.m. May 25, 2:00 p.m. May 25, 3:00 p.m. &C?JRF 1MAG?J 1CPTGACQ !RC .J?LLGLE .S@JGA 5MPIQ !RC BKGLGQRP?RGML $GL?LAC !RC 1R?RSRMPW­ 2MSPGQK #VCKNRGML BKGLGQRP?RGML $GL?LAC !RC 0CEGML?J !MSLAGJ -DDGACQ AJMQCB DMP 4GARMPG? "?W &C?JRF 1MAG?J 1CPTGACQ !RC .J?LLGLE .S@JGA 5MPIQ 1R?RSRMPW­ 0-. .J?LLGLE .S@JGA 5MPIQ !RC BKGLGQRP?RGML $GL?LAC 1GLIGLE $SLB BKGLGQRP?RGML $GL?LAC !RC BKGLGQRP?RGML $GL?LAC SBGR Step 1. Know the Risks Although the consequences of different disasters can be similar, knowing the risks in your area can help you better prepare for them. In recent years, we've seen a number of natural disasters occurring in heavily populated areas. Halton Region can be vulnerable to a variety of natural and human-caused hazards such as severe storms and health epidemics. For any incident, make sure you know general precautions you should take. Learn more about these precautions and the risks that may occur in Halton by visiting www.halton.ca/ beprepared. Learn more about how you can be prepared by visiting www.halton.ca/beprepared. 2FCÏ0CEGML?JÏ+SLGAGN?JGRWÏMDÏ&?JRMLÏkÏÏ PMLRCÏ0B Ï-?ITGJJCÏ-LR?PGMÏ*+Ï* "G?JÏÏMPÏÌÌÏkÏ2MJJÏDPCCÏÌÌÌÏkÏ227ÏÌÌÏkÏUUU F?JRML A? 5CÏUCJAMKCÏWMSPÏDCCB@?AI Ï!MLR?ARÏAACQQÏ&?JRMLÏ?RÏ?AACQQF?JRMLF?JRML A?Ï +CCRGLEQ A?L @C TGCUCB ?R www.halton.ca .JC?QC JCR SQ ILMU ?Q QMML ?Q NMQQG@JC GD WMS UGJJ F?TC ?L ?AACQQG@GJGRW MP ?AAMKKMB?RGML LCCB ?R ? &?JRML 0CEGML FMQRCB CTCLR MP KCCRGLE 2FGQ N?EC F?Q @CCL BML?RCB @W RFGQ LCUQN?NCP RM AMKKSLGA?RC GKNMPR?LR GLDMPK?RGML RM &?JRML PCQGBCLRQ ?R LM AMQR RM R?VN?WCPQ