Emergency Preparedness 14

With spring nearing, many of us winter-worn Canadians are looking forward to warmer temperatures. While spring is in the air, it’s still important to keep ice safety in mind, especially as milder weather affects most ice conditions.

It was early on a Sunday morning in January last winter when the message began to sound over the loudspeakers of a 17-storey apartment building on Rebecca Street in Hamilton, Ontario. Due to flooding, tenants were being asked to evacuate.

There is nothing I love more than being cozy and warm on a cold day. So it might seem a little odd that I opted to take a winter vacation in Yellowknife, NWT. I got a little nervous about the cold, so  I decided to learn as much as I can about how to stay safe and warm in the freezing cold, and what to do in the event of a cold-related emergency.  

Mary Teresa Shalala, or Teri to her friends, has been a Walmart associate in Vaudreuil-Dorion for eight years. While the mother of four works evenings and nights taking inventory, her 33-year-old son Élie Langevin is often busy helping people affected by disasters. Despite their differing realities, they share something beyond a family bond: a passion for helping disaster victims. Teri does so through her employer, which has supported the Canadian Red Cross for 14 years, and Élie volunteers for the organization in Quebec.

In late November 2016, the Ecuadorian Red Cross, with support from the Magen David Adom (MDA), the Israeli National Red Cross Society, conducted mass-casualty incident (MCI) training in Ecuador. An MCI is a situation – natural or man-made – where emergency crews become overwhelmed by the number of casualties. Many Red Cross National Societies respond to MCIs in their home countries; these Societies then share their knowledge with other Societies to improve their response capabilities.

As Canadians, we know winter storms, including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold, are common this time of year. Some of the risks related to winter weather include extended power outages, treacherous driving conditions and frigid temperatures. Are you and your family prepared for a weather-related emergency?

Did you know you can find lots of gift ideas online through Shop Red Cross? Instead of buying your brother yet another ugly Christmas sweater, why not give him an emergency preparedness kit with essential items in case of a disaster.

Think of it as a way of showing how much you care about him and his family. It’s also reassuring to know they will be ready in an emergency.

At the Canadian Red Cross we know how important having an emergency kit is, and we were looking for a new way to get the word out. So we turned to BUNZ Trading Zone.