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Regional Chair Gary Carr: Let’s stay safe during emergencies by being prepared and knowing the risks

May 02, 2024
Are you prepared for an emergency? Know the risks. Make a plan. Get a kit.

Emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. Doing our part to keep our community safe means being ready for an emergency with information, planning and supplies. This year, Emergency Preparedness Week is May 5 to 11. You can take these three simple steps to be prepared and help everyone in Halton stay safe:

Step one: Know the risks

Check Halton’s Emergency Alerts and Public Information page to keep up to date on critical information in your area. In the months ahead when summer weather approaches, you can also prepare for heat events and air quality changes.

Step two: Make a plan

Ensure everyone in your home knows what to do before, during and after an emergency. Make note of where exits are located in your home, where essential supplies are kept, who to contact and how you will shelter in place if left without power or water.

Step three: Get a kit

Assemble or buy an emergency kit to meet the needs of your family for 72 hours, at home or during an evacuation. Visit the Get a Kit section on halton.ca for helpful checklists and what to include in your emergency kit.

To learn more about how you can prepare for emergencies, visit the Preparing for Emergencies page on halton.ca.

Working with emergency partners to keep Halton safe

In addition to sharing important information to help you prepare for emergencies, we also work closely with our community partners to test our emergency plans regularly to ensure we are ready to respond. On April 25, the Region participated in an emergency exercise with the Town of Oakville, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and local first responders to test our procedures for emergency response and public messaging to the community in the event of a hazardous materials emergency. I would like to thank the first responders in our community for all they do to keep Halton safe.

By planning ahead to protect our family, friends and community, we make Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.

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