This year’s Emergency Preparedness Week theme is "In It Together". In addition to preparing or refreshing your family’s emergency supplies, this “In it Together” theme emphasises social connection before an emergency. Social connections build trust and a sense of belonging amongst neighbours and greatly enhances a community’s resilience to an emergency.
Reach out to your neighbours and organize a get-together. If you already have a neighbourhood network in place, start there. Consider talking about the possible hazards in your area, how prepared your home is, any neighbours who have specific needs, and the emergency programs in your area.
Check out the Province’s Emergency Preparedness Week site for more information, resources and games.
British Columbia is particularly vulnerable to a range of natural hazards. For example, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes are generated along the western flank of the province, as the tectonic plates that floor the Pacific Ocean drive beneath North America. British Columbia's mountainous terrain makes it prone to landslides, glacial outburst floods, snow avalanches, and seasonal floods, and its extensive coastlines are exposed to storm surges, tsunami that propagate across the Pacific Ocean from distant plate boundaries, and the effects of sea-level rise.
Recent events, including unprecedented wildfire seasons, atmospheric rivers, wind events, and extreme heat, highlight the importance of understanding and reducing our exposure to disaster and climate risks, as well as enhancing the preparedness of communities across B.C.
Climate change is intensifying the impacts of some hazards, including:
- Forest Fires
- Atmospheric river and wind events
- Heat domes
Disasters like these will continue and increase in complexity as climate change persists. The Capital Region Extreme Heat Information Portal hosts information and maps that will help residents and municipal planners explore and understand the capital region's vulnerability and exposure to extreme heat. To view the heat portal visit heat.prepareyourself.ca.
For more information on Climate Action at the CRD visit crd.ca/environment/climate-action.
Get Prepared
Visit the website PrepareYourself.ca to learn more about hazards in our region and get prepared. The website includes a range of preparedness resources.
Our Guide to Emergency Preparedness in the Capital Region [PDF/2.5MB] provides essential steps to prepare for emergencies. Inside, you'll find:
- What to do before, during, and after an emergency
- Handy checklists to ensure nothing is overlooked
- Practical advice to protect yourself and your loved ones
Being well-prepared puts you in a stronger position to help your family, friends, and neighbors during an emergency or disaster.
Stay Informed – Emergency Dashboard
The CRD Protective Services division developed the public-facing Emergency Dashboard as a source of trusted information for residents and visitors to access emergency response information and preparedness resources within the region.
Visit emergency.crd.ca/ to start using this dashboard and save the link for future ease of access. The dashboard automatically maps alerts across the region and provides a centralized system for accessing emergency information, notifications, and resources from trusted providers including Environment Canada, BC Hydro, and DriveBC.
