This June 20 will mark five years since a 110 km/h windstorm -- the type of emergency citizens are encouraged to be better prepared for -- slammed Red Deer and many parts of central Alberta. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

May 1-7

Red Deerians encouraged during Emergency Preparedness Week to ‘Be ready for anything’

May 3, 2022 | 5:12 PM

May 1-7 is National Emergency Preparedness Week.

The theme is Be Ready for Anything, which more than anything else, is a reminder for individuals and families to have a 72-hour emergency kit.

The other two important steps are knowing the risks and making an emergency plan, says Carol Lind, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of Red Deer.

“The main part is to get a kit actually started and develop that kit over time,” says Lind. “You can also take Emergency Preparedness Week as an opportunity to upgrade your kit, because things expire, or you may have used something. So go back and visit what you had in there already.”

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This week, the City has staff going through emergency preparedness training, something it does annually, plus emergency staff specifically are constantly immersed in exercises designed to enhance the City’s overall response.

The City is also sharing emergency preparedness tips on its social media accounts, and an emergency alert will go out to smartphones on Wednesday, May 4.

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“Notify Red Deer is another thing we want people to sign up for. With that, you can choose how you want to receive notifications, either through email, text or phone call in case of an emergency,” says Lind.

For those not yet subscribed, visit reddeer.ca/notifyreddeer to do so.

Since last May, the City has seen 1,177 new subscribers to Notify Red Deer, and currently has a total of 20,744.

Lind notes that knowing the risks for your region can help you prepare.

“Some of the risks that could occur in Red Deer include blizzards, tornadoes, floods, hazardous materials and power outages,” she points out. “Making an emergency plan will help you and your family know what to do in case of an emergency. Your family may not be together when an emergency happens, so plan and discuss how you will meet or contact one another.”

More information about Emergency Preparedness Week is at reddeer.ca/getprepared and at getprepared.gc.ca.