If you’re not sure whether you and your family are prepared for an emergency, you’re probably not.
To mark Emergency Preparedness Week, which kicked off on May 5, the City of Merritt’s Emergency Support Services team will be hosting a number of open houses in the community, aimed at educating locals on how to be prepared in the event of an emergency.
The open houses will take place at 1721 Coldwater Ave., on May 8 from 4 to 8 p.m. and May 11 from 1 to 5 p.m.
The ESS team will have drinks and treats for those that would like to attend and prize draws. Prizes include a stocked first aid kit, a two person emergency care kit valued over $200 dollars, and some Red Cross items.
Come out and talk to the ESS crew and find out what you can do to be prepared and perhaps what you can do to assist in the event of an emergency.
“Approximately 85 per cent of Canadians agree that having an emergency kit is important in ensuring their and their family’s safety, yet only 40 per cent have prepared or bought an emergency kit. If you are not prepared for an emergency, they you end up being part of the emergency,” said Sky McKeown, manager of recreation and facilities for the City of Merritt, in an email to the Herald. “Response to those who are in urgent need is often delayed because capable people put off getting prepared or they think ‘oh it won’t happen to us.'”
For more information on preparing emergency kits, head over to www.GetPrepared.ca.
