Emergency Preparedness

As a young child in Canada, Rateb always acknowledged that his internal calling was to help those in need. Following his parents’ immigration to the Middle East, Rateb remained focused on his resolve and pursued his medical education in the Kingdom of Bahrain where he obtained his medical degree. Rateb saw the opportunity to directly apply his training and skills through the greater good of humanitarian work. 

Statistics show that only one out of three Canadians will take steps to be prepared for a disaster - which means the majority of us are not prepared in case of emergency. This could be for few reasons so we want to dispel five common disaster myths.

Growing up in Southern India, Ashwin witnessed the resilience of these communities and was inspired by their ability to bounce back after a disaster.
His experience left him eager to dive deeper into disaster management, and after coming to Canada that’s exactly what he did. 

For people living with disabilities, preparing for disasters will need to take into account personal needs, such as mobility before, during and after a disaster – especially if there’s no power.

Here are some tips for disaster planning when living with disabilities.

We know it’s important to have an emergency kit for our homes – one that prepares us for up to 72 hours after a disaster - should help not be able to arrive until then; but do you have an emergency kit prepared for your car?

Fifty years ago, on May 4, 1971, a landslide swallowed 56 homes in the village of Saint-Jean-Vianney in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, claiming 31 lives and forcing 1,342 people to seek refuge in reception centres and shelters.
 

Pregnancy can be a lot of things, exciting, terrifying, emotional, gassy - but no matter what, it means taking steps to care for yourself and your offspring. About four days after I found out I was pregnant, there was a tornado warning in my area. While I was taking shelter in the basement with my extremely annoyed cat, I realized I needed to update my emergency plan and kit to be better prepared for this new reality.

The sun is getting stronger, winter gear is slowly diminishing, blossoms are beginning to show, hope is starting to grow – it’s springtime! In Canada, there are a few things to keep in mind to be ready for specific emergencies the new season can bring, such as increased risk of flooding as snow melts away.