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Raymond and District Ag Society hosts Emergency Preparedness Information Session

Posted on November 22, 2018 by admin

By Stan Ashbee
Westwind Weekly News

Last Wednesday, the Raymond and District Ag Society, along with the Town or Raymond, held an Emergency Preparedness Information Session. One of the main objectives of the session was to raise awareness and to remind residents to make sure your family is prepared for an emergency. Step One — Know the risks in your region. Step Two — Make an Emergency Plan with your family. Step Three — Make an emergency kit for your home. For more information on how you and family can prepare for an emergency visit getprepared.ca.

Let’s get prepared. Here are items for your family’s 72-hour emergency kit: water (2 litres per person) per day; non-perishable food; extra clothing and footwear; blankets and sleeping bags; a first aid kit; medications; flashlight and batteries; candles, lighter, and matches; garbage bags; paper towels and toilet paper; personal hygiene items; fuel-driven stove and fuel; tools including a manual can opener, shovel, knife, pliers, etc.; whistle; radio (crank or battery); money (cash and coins); keys (vehicle and house); emergency contact info; special supplies such as baby supplies, pet, etc.; and copies of identification and important documents.

According to last Wednesday’s training session, the most likely risks in the Raymond area include blackouts, infectious diseases, severe weather, tornadoes, wildfires, flash floods, and dangerous goods being transported. The reminder or take away for residents was — anything can happen at any time. The town’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is ready with a generator, wiring, and lights. The alternate EOC is the Fire Hall.

Town emergency supplies include cots, blankets, masks, gloves, sandbags, shoe covers, and 70 per cent hand sanitizer. The town has reception places and collection points in case of emergencies. The Alberta Emergency Alert System’s aim is to provide critical, life saving information to the public through radio, TV, Internet, and social media. With Critical Alerts, Info Alerts, and Amber Alerts — take immediate action. Visit emergencyalert.alberta.ca. A reminder — disasters can happen suddenly with little or no warning, so prepare now.

Christy Block, a board member and marketing director for the Raymond and District Ag Society, said the town’s Emergency Preparedness Specialist Ken Steed was a featured guest at last week’s information and training session.

“He had documents from the province, as well as the town,” she noted, adding the event was open to the public and there were approximately 25 in attendance, at what is hoped is an annual event.

Block explained the Raymond and District Ag Society has been added as one of the town’s collection points in an emergency.

“They’ve split the town into four quadrants. The southeast end of town would go to the Ag Society. They have different rules and regulations,” she said.

“We allow pets, where the churches don’t.”

Now, the Raymond and District Ag Society can be incorporated as an emergency spot, which is pet-friendly.

“If anybody has a pet, in a disaster, they would go to the Ag Society. In their 72-hour emergency kit, they’re supposed to have — if they do bring pets — everything they would need for that pet to keep that pet going for at least the 72 hours,” she noted.

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