National Emergency Preparedness Week

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION-National Emergency Preparedness Week

Nova Scotia’s Emergency Measures Organization is marking this year’s National Emergency Preparedness Week by encouraging all individuals to develop a personal emergency kit.

The week, May 7-13, is an annual event intended to raise awareness of the importance of planning ahead and preparing for potential emergencies.

This year’s theme, Reducing the Risk: Toward Safer Communities in the 21st Century, focuses on the need to understand the risks encountered in our daily lives and how to take action to reduce them.

"Although there is no way we can make our lives totally risk- free, we can reduce the number of risks and minimize the impact they can have," said Jamie Muir, Minister responsible for the Emergency Measures Act. "Also, emergency preparedness must occur at all levels -- the individual, family, community and province. Having an emergency kit in our homes and cars is very simple and is something each of us can do to become better prepared."

A home emergency kit should contain items such as a flashlight, a battery-operated radio, a first-aid kit, candles and matches, medication, canned food and water and even playing cards or games to keep children occupied.

Important items for an auto emergency kit include a shovel, a tow chain, booster cables, a survival candle and matches, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, an emergency food pack and a blanket.

More complete emergency preparedness checklists can be found on the Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization Web site at http://www.gov.ns.ca/emo .

Another important emergency preparedness step for Nova Scotians is to ensure that the correct civic number is posted in front of each home where it can be easily seen from the roadway by emergency responders, day or night.

“Nova Scotia has developed a national reputation for its ability to respond quickly and expertly when faced with a disaster or emergency,” said Mr. Muir. “We are all indebted to the many dedicated Nova Scotians involved in emergency preparedness that make emergency response of this calibre possible.”