Emergency Preparedness Week May 2-8

EMERGENCY MEASURES ORGANIZATION--Emergency Preparedness Week
May 2-8

After the events of this past year -- which included major
floods, Hurricane Juan and a provincewide blizzard -- Nova
Scotians have witnessed first hand the need to be prepared
for all types of emergencies.

During National Emergency Preparedness Week, May 2-8, the
province's Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) is
reminding Nova Scotians that emergency preparedness is
everyone's responsibility.

"Nova Scotia has seen its fair share of major emergencies,"
said Ernest Fage, Minister responsible for the Emergency
Measures Act. "Knowing the risks we face is the first step
to being prepared. It's up to each of us to learn about, and
prepare for, potential emergencies."

EMO (NS) offers the following tips on how Nova Scotia
families can prepare for any kind of emergency:

• Develop a family emergency plan;
• List emergency phone numbers and addresses by the phone;
• Prepare a home emergency kit;
• Prepare an emergency kit for your car;
• Select a common meeting place for your family;
• Choose one local and one distant family member or friend
  to call if your family gets separated during an emergency;
• Teach children how and when to call 911;
• Ensure your correct civic number is posted where it can
  be seen clearly from the roadway day or night;
• Take a first-aid course.

"The best way to deal with an emergency is to be prepared so
that when disaster or emergencies strike you can minimize
the impact on people's lives," said Mr. Fage.

For more information on emergency preparedness, see the EMO
website at www.gov.ns.ca/emo .