Now that the weather is warming for the summer, the RCMP say it's important to be prepared.
With summer comes the risk of flooding and wildfire in Alberta, and the RCMP is encouraging families to create an emergency plan in case of flood or wildfire.
When creating the emergency plan, the RCMP suggest considering the specific needs of the household, which includes older family members, any special health or mobility needs, children, pets, and service animals.
As part of the plan, there should be details on how the family will contact each other during an emergency, and the RCMP recommends the family members have each other's contact information saved, as family members may not all be together when an emergency happens.
In the event of the home needing to be evacuated, it's important to determine the best and quickest way to evacuate, which will include muster points, and if someone is not able to evacuate their home, the RCMP suggest being prepared to be self-sufficient for three days.
That includes having the proper amount of food, water, and a secondary power source if possible.
Having an emergency kit, or go-bag, that has water and non-perishables, medications, personal hygiene items, copies of important documents, a first-aid kit, a manual can opener, phone charger, power bank, flashlight, extra batteries, an emergency blanket, extra cash, and seasonal clothing is important to have prepared alongside the emergency plan.
On top of that, the RCMP encourages every household member to know the location of the emergency kit, the fire extinguishers, and where the water, electric, and gas utilities are located.
If your workplace, school, or community have an emergency plan, it's important to know those as well, AS an emergency could happen when you are not home.
in the event of an emergency, listen to local police and first responders who are evacuating the neighbourhood, because shortcuts could lead people to blocked or unsafe areas.
If possible, the RCMP suggests making an out-of-town contact, far enough away so the likelihood of them also being affected by the same emergency is minimal, so your family can stay with them during an emergency.
Once a plan has been created, the RCMP recommend practicing the plan frequently, so everyone is ready in case of an emergency.
Evacuation alerts are issued in Alberta and warn the public of potential and current threats, and if an alert is issued, be prepared to evacuate, because evacuation orders are mandatory and are issued when the public must leave the area for their safety.