Are you ready for the big one? It's a question that Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) provincial emergency program co-ordinator Bill Elsner has been fielding a lot the past few weeks.
With the hugely destructive earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan weighing heavily on everyone's mind, there is a focus on personal emergency preparedness, particularly for those living in coastal communities.
SCRD directors were treated to a presentation by Elsner at the March 17 community services committee meeting, and Coast Reporter spoke with Elsner this week to get more tips on being prepared.
"Having a week's worth of food and water, a change of clothes, medications and some cash in a grab-and-go kit is a really great idea," Elsner said. "When you see a civilized, industrial country like Japan, where people don't have food and water, it should be quite obvious to people that if you don't have those things for yourself, you're going to suffer.
"We're not at risk of a tsunami here to the same degree as the outer coast of British Columbia and the coast of Japan, but if there's an earthquake, our supply line will be cut off and it may be some time before we can get supplies again."
Further safety preparations include having a home hazard checklist and making sure heavy items, like hot water tanks and bookcases, are firmly bolted to the walls.
Another important element to assist with being prepared is the neighbourhood emergency preparedness program (NEPP). The program is designed to help neigbourhoods pre-identify their skills and resources, organizing them in case of disaster. Every participating neigbourhood is organized into a team of seven response units to handle situations caused by a disaster. The program's purpose is to allow a neighbourhood to be self-sufficient for 72 hours after a disaster.
"The program is a concept of getting to know the people in your immediate areas," he said, "on your street, in your apartment building or condo development, because in an emergency we have all these emergency responders, but they might not be able, will not be able, to get to everybody."
Elsner stressed the importance of working together in the neighbourhood and knowing who can do what, such as who can turn off gas and check utilities or who has the ability to measure structural damage.
"All those kinds of things are things the neighbourhood program emphasizes," he said. "I have a facilitator who is trained in delivering the program. They will come to neighbourhoods and do a presentation."
Being prepared is one aspect of facing a possible disaster. Another is being informed, Elsner said.
"When something like this happens, it's really important to get to the most credible sources you can. That's what I do. I'm listening to the advice of scientists and medical people. That's where people should be getting their information," Elsner said. "I don't see that people should be going out panicking."
While it is important to be prepared for an earthquake, it's equally important to remember the Coast could potentially face a variety of disasters. Elsner said the key message in the business of emergency preparedness is taking an 'all-hazards' approach.
"We don't look at preparing differently for an earthquake or a snowstorm or a forest fire. The issue of personal preparedness is the same," he said. "Being prepared in advance is really important."
For more information on emergency preparedness, including NEPP and links to other government organizations, visit the SCRD website at www.scrd.ca.
