Emergency Updates

EMERGENCY PREPAReDNESS

As the Wildfire season is upon us it is important that we all take the time to be prepared in case of emergency.

WFN encourages you to prepare your family in advance of any emergency that might force you from your home or require you to shelter in place (or be at home without power for several days).

In large scale events such as forest fires, floods, long-term power outages and other disasters, WFN collaborates and receives assistance from our regional partners, including Fire, Police, Healthcare, and neighbouring municipalities plus the Regional District. The emergency program is further supported by Emergency Social Services (ESS) volunteers and others.

News and updates regarding Central Okanagan emergencies will be posted to the Central Okanagan Emergency Operations website. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE for Central Okanagan emergency e-updates.

By visiting WFN's Government or Community Services offices during regular business hours, Members can obtain a copy of BC 's 'Emergency Preparedness Guide', as well as an "OK/HELP" sign to display in the window of your home during a disaster. If you are directly experiencing an emergency, such as the threat of life, please call 911.

Expect the unexpected and plan for it.

Knowing what to do when a disaster strikes will help you better control the situation and be in a position to recover more quickly. While the region does have an emergency plan and WFN participates in it, no community is equipped to handle all the demands of a catastrophe. Help your community by preparing yourself. Make sure everyone in your family knows what to do before, during and after an emergency. https://www.cordemergency.ca/beprepared

How to prepare for an emergency such as long-term power outage

Home Preparedness Checklist

Check emergency equipment periodically (flashlights, radios, generators, etc.) to make sure they’re in working order.
Use surge protectors to protect your electronic devices such as computers, printers, and televisions.
Develop a list of important local telephone numbers. Include numbers for police, fire, poison control centre and BC Hydro to report an outage: 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) or *49376 on your mobile device.
Contact your regional health authority if you or someone you know has special needs during an outage (e.g., is dependent upon electronic life-support systems).
If you rely on life-sustaining equipment, be prepared for an outage by having a power source. If power is out for a long period, it’s important to have a back-up plan, such as moving to the home of a family member or friend in an area with power. If this is not an option, plan to go to your local hospital.
Inspect your chimney or flue - This helps prevent structural fires and ensures smoke, carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful gases are properly vented.
Fireplaces, woodstoves, barbecues and camp stoves can be used for emergency cooking. DO NOT use barbecues or campstoves indoors due to the high risk of carbon monoxide build-up.

72 Hour Kit

To assemble your kit store items in airtight plastic bags and put your entire disaster supplies kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag. A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Adequate supply of non-perishable and ready-to-eat food
Water (three-day supply; two litres per person per day), and 2L per day per person for cleaning/hygiene
Hand-crank or battery-operated radio - This allows you to listen to your local station for warnings, advice and instructions.
Flashlights with extra batteries. Avoid using candles as they can be a fire hazard
Cell phone with battery bank
First aid kit, including prescription medicine if needed
Manual can opener
Warm clothing and blankets
Supplies for your pet
Extra keys for your house and car
Cash in small denominations
Games, cards and books to entertain everyone
A copy of your preparedness plan

What do to during an outage

Turn off all appliances, especially those that generate heat. This helps prevent injury, damage and fire when the power is restored.
Never use a camp stove, barbecue, or propane or kerosene heaters indoors. A build-up of carbon monoxide gas in closed areas can be deadly.
Never plug a portable generator into an electrical outlet. This can cause electrical danger to your neighbours and utility workers.
Turn off all lights except one inside your home and one outside. The inside light lets you know and the outside light lets BC Hydro know when the power is back on.
Keep the doors of your refrigerator and freezer closed. BC Hydro suggests that if the power is out for less than four hours, the food in your fridge and freezer will be safe to consume. Use these tips to keep your food as fresh as possible:
- Deep freezer - cover the freezer with blankets, quilts or sleeping bags to further insulate the freezer and help keep food frozen longer.
- Refrigerated food - minimize how often you open the refrigerator. Try placing bags of ice in the fridge, or place food on ice in a cooler or ice chest.

After an outage

Give the electrical system a chance to stabilize after an outage. Occasionally, even after your power has come back on, a momentary outage may occur.

Turn on the most essential appliances first, and wait 10 to 15 minutes before reconnecting the others.
Check to make sure your refrigerator and freezer are back on. Determine if anything needs to be discarded. If in doubt, throw it out.
Reset your clocks, automatic timers, and alarms.
Restock any used supplies from your emergency kit.
Pull out your emergency kit once a year and make sure it still fits the needs of your household. Check expiry dates for products and replace batteries with fresh ones.

How to prepare for an evacuation

Here’s some steps you can take now to ensure you and your family have what you need in the unfortunate event that you must evacuate your home:

Connect with family or friends ahead of time who live outside your area that you could potentially stay with in the event you must evacuate
Take a video/photos of the inside of your home to document your belongings
Build a Grab-and-Go Bag

Emergency Support Services (ESS) officials in the Central Okanagan suggest you prepare an emergency kit that you can simply 'grab and go', containing materials and belongings that will help you get through the initial hours after a disaster, or until its once again safe for you to go home. Put your supplies in one or two containers, such as plastic bins or duffel bags. Store them in an area of your home that’s easy to get to, such as a hall closet, spare room or garage. In addition to having one at home, create grab-and-go bags for your workplace and vehicles as well.

Building your emergency kit or grab-and-go bag doesn't need to be expensive or take a lot of time. Just remember to consider the unique needs of your household, such as including items for pets or seniors. Here are some suggestions as to what could be included in your kit:
Grab and Go list
Food (ready to eat ie dried fruit & soup, crackers, freeze dried/foil pouch products)

Water: The general rule is to pack four litres of water per person per day. It’s recommended you purchase commercially-bottled water and keep it in its original container in an easily accessible, cool and dark place.

Children, people who are nursing and people who are sick may need more.

Hot temperatures can double water needs.

Pets need about 30 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight per day. An average-sized cat or small-sized dog needs at least 1/5 of a litre, or half a cup, daily.

Phone charger and battery bank

Small battery-powered or hand-crank radio

Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight

Waterproof matches and candle

Extra batteries

First-aid kit and first-aid manual

Personal medications

Toilet tissue and other personal care items (ie. toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary supplies, extra pair of glasses or contact lenses)

Copy of your emergency plan, copies of important documents, such as insurance papers

Cash in small bills and coins

Extra keys for vehicle and house

Flares (for the vehicle)

Small tool kit (for the vehicle)

Local map with your family meeting place identified

Seasonal clothing and an emergency blanket

Sturdy, flat, comfortable shoes

Pen and notepad

Whistle, pocket knife

What to do if you are evacuated

Emergency Preparedness for Pet Owners

The following information is published on the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) website at spca.bc.ca

Register your pet

In the event you’re separated from your pet during an emergency evacuation, making sure your pet is registered with identification (microchip, tattoo or licence) is crucial for a quick and safe return.

During an emergency, your pet may have entered a shelter and its microchip can be easily scanned (or tattoo code read). The ID is then searched on bcpetregistry.ca and owner is contacted using the phone number or email on your pet’s profile. *It’s important that your contact details are updated if they ever change – this can be done online.

Emergency Checklist

Food, water and treats for one week:
Include dishes – collapsible are great
Manual can opener, spoon/scoop
Water: Cats – 1 litre/day; Dogs – 4 litres/day
Medications and medical records: include vet contact info, pet photos with written descriptions of your pets, and store in a Ziploc bag.
Copy of your pet’s current vaccination history
Any special medications and instructions
Dogs: waste bags; disinfectant for pet mess clean-up, paper towels
Small cat: litter box, litter, scoop, garbage bags
Small animals: bedding, extra water bottle, hiding box, extra hay
Dog leashes (6 foot and 15-20 foot), harness, muzzles; consider having a cat harness and leash
Places to hide: Having spaces for your cat or dog to hide in will provide some much-needed comfort. While humans understand what’s going on and know it’s temporary, going into a big gym or a shelter is scary for pets. Having somewhere they can play or hide gives them a chance to feel safe wherever they are.
Toys to help entertain and lower stress (dogs: Kong, ball, treat ball; cats: feather wand, catnip toys)
Comfort: Bring some of the things that will allow them to feel comfortable.
Label all containers with pet names and your contact information – things can go missing in an emergency. As many items as possible should be packed in ready-to go bins or backpacks. Mark storage bins with pet names and your contact information in case items are separated at an evacuation center.
If you have animals who cannot be moved in an immediate evacuation, such as aquarium fish or farm animals, create a sign describing the animals left on the property with your name and contact information. Prepare this now and keep tape with it so it is ready to stick to your door to alert rescue officials.

Animal Assistance Programs at Evacuation Reception Centres

The following information is from the Canadian Disaster Animal Response Team (CDART)

Experienced animal-care volunteers work with evacuation reception centres to receive pets and move them to a safe place where they will be cared for until you’re able to return home.

Make the evacuation reception centre your first point of contact and ask them to put you in touch with an animal assistance organization.

For questions or support for moving non-commercial livestock or farm animals, visit the CDART community Facebook pages at:
CDART Southwest BC
CDART Central BC
CDART Website

Health Info for FN Evacuees

Additional Resources

COVID-19

Please visit our COVID-19 web page for up to date resources and information, and our Facilities and Services updates web page for our phased re-opening strategy.

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