City partners with do1thing.com to encourage residents to be prepared for anything

Emergency preparedness is not often top of mind until the tones of an Alberta Emergency Alert sound. For the next 12 weeks, Chestermere Emergency Management Agency (CHEMA) will be encouraging everyone to practice personal and family preparedness and Do 1 Thing to prepare for an emergency.

“If we face a wide scale disaster, residents may be asked to either evacuate or shelter in place,” says Director of Emergency Management, Donelda Laing. “Our goal is that all residents are prepared so that together we can have a safe and coordinated community response to an emergency.”

The Do1Thing Campaign is an international campaign that makes it easier for individuals, families and businesses to be better prepared to respond to an emergency. The steps are usually spread over each month of the year but Chestermere is encouraging residents to Do 1 Thing in the weeks leading up to Emergency Management week in May, and continuing into June.

There are 12 goals CHEMA recommends you explore. Each week, a variety of suggestions for achieving that goal will be shared to www.facebook.com/cityofchestermere and chestermere.ca/EmergencyManagement

• April 1 Week: Make a Plan
• April 8 Week: Have enough water to support your family for 72 hours
• April 15 Week: Learn how to ‘shelter in place’
• April 22 Week: Make sure you have an emergency food supply ready
• April 29 Week: Have emergency kits ready for those who rely on you
• May 6 Week: Emergency Preparedness Week! Get involved and learn more at the Open House on May 11 at the Fire Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• May 13 Week: Make sure you can take care of people and pet needs
• May 20 Week: Get what you need to stay connected during an emergency
• May 27 Week: Be informed, know where you can get emergency information
• June 3 Week: Ensure you have power and light supplies
• June 10 Week: Make sure all your emergency supplies are in one place
• June 17 Week: Get a First Aid kit ready

The City will be posting these reminders on social media but families can also sign up at www.do1thing.com for reminders and more information. More information about community activities during Emergency Preparedness Week will be released in April. 

“We appreciate all residents who take the time to prepare themselves and their families,” says Laing. “Your response makes a big difference and we appreciate how much you care to prepare.”