HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Planning - Oh Yah I Will Get Around to That When I Have a Few Moments
COUNTY OF NEWELL
“Home of Dinosaur Provincial Park”
“Emergency Planning”
Oh yah I will get around to that when I have few moments
Make Disaster Preparedness a Priority for the New Year.
Know the Risks - Although the consequences of disasters can be similar, knowing the risks
specific to our community and our region can help you better prepare.
Many ranches and farms spend a lot of time working on business plans, mission statements, employee
training, goals, and financial management, but how many spend time discussing a disaster plan? In
Alberta we have the potential to suffer catastrophic events such as, flooding, fires, blizzards, and drought.
A disaster plan may not be able to save acres of crops or numbers of livestock, but it can help you move
forward, and be ready if there is a next time.
A disaster plan may help protect property, facilities, animals, and people. A good starting point in
developing a plan is developing an emergency contact list. Some emergency numbers that you may want
to include would be: employees, neighbors, veterinarians – both local and provincial, trucking company,
brand inspector, local police, and a contact person outside of the disaster area. It seems that we all know
these numbers off of the top of our heads, but those stored in a cell phone may not be accessible; and in a
high stress event, you may not be able to recall these numbers from memory. Also, think through where
your livestock will go if they need to leave your premise; possible locations may include the local sale
yard/barn, the vet, or the neighbor’s place.
A livestock emergency readiness checklist may be a useful tool to develop. Some things to consider may
be a backup source of power, sufficient fuel supplies – for a generator, equipment, and vehicles, fire
extinguishers, livestock water and feed (enough for two to three days), on-farm veterinary aid, and access
to livestock records and/or insurance policies – if needed. Often times, disasters are not covered by
insurance companies, unless specifically listed in the policy. This may be a good time to review your
policy.
A ranch or farm map may be of benefit to first responders and neighbors. This can be a basic outline of
facilities with shop or barn names. Additionally, you may want to include bodies of running and standing
water (creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, etc.), fence lines, and power lines. If you need to dispatch help and
those responding do not know where the calving barn is, it will slow response times. On the map you
should also include the storage locations of herbicides, pesticides, or fuel. The location of these may
dictate how an emergency is responded to and with what equipment.
Once your disaster preparedness plan is in place, communication is key! It should be shared with your
family, employees, and others you think may be involved if a crisis strikes. While many of these things
seem simple, they can be things that are overlooked in times of high stress. Additionally, having these
materials in a location where others will know where to find them enables them to carry out your wishes if
you are unable to be present. You should review this plan annually to ensure the information is current and
relevant.
Your 72 Hour Emergency Kit
Food and Water (3 day supply of non-perishables per person)
Protein/granola bars, trail mix/dried fruit, crackers, cereals, canned meat fish & beans, canned
juice.
Water (4 L per person, include small bottles to carry with you).
Bedding and Clothing
Change of clothing, raincoat, jacket, spare shoes, sleeping bags or blankets for each person, plastic
or cloth sheets.
Light and Fuel
Hand-crank flashlight or battery powered flashlight, extra batteries, candles, lighter, waterproof
matches.
Equipment
Manual can opener, dishes and utensils, shovel, battery powered radio c/w spare batteries, pen and
paper, axe, pocket knife, rope, duct tape, whistle, cell phone c/w charger, basic tools, small stove
c/w fuel.
Personal Supplies and Medication
1st. Aid kit, toiletries, hand sanitizer, soap, medication and prescription medication, pet food and
supplies, garbage bags, toys, reading material, extra keys.
Copies of Personal Documents, Money (in a waterproof container)
Legal documents like birth & marriage certificates, wills, passports, contracts, insurance policies,
cash in small bills, credit cards, copy of your emergency plan.
Notes
Update your kit every 6 months to ensure freshness and nothing has expired or is missing.
Be prepared as public safety begins at home, the farm or ranch. Business, individual and family
preparedness can greatly reduce the potential impact of an emergency.
For further information please contact Keith Martin, Manager of Fire & Emergency Services at 403-794-
2297 or go to www.getprepared.gc.ca or visit www.aema.alberta.ca
Remember “Safety is an Attitude” and “Preparedness always makes you look and feel cleaver”.
Keith R. Martin
Manager of Fire & Emergency Services
County of Newell
Prepared – January 3, 2014