Beaver Emergency Services Commission

In some emergency situations it may become necessary to leave your home or business and move to a safe location. Planning ahead will help you cope.

Officials will make every effort to keep people informed if they are located in an area that is at risk. This may be done through telephone alert, local media or through door to door contact by emergency services personnel.

Preparing to Evacuate:

• Make arrangements for pets. Animals will not be allowed in reception centers.
• Listen to a local radio station for the location of reception centers. (Reception Centers are centrally located evacuation locations)
• Follow the instructions provided by local authorities. Emergency Telephone Numbers are to be used only for emergency situations.

Things to do When Evacuating:

• Vacate your home when advised - ignoring a warning may jeopardize your safety.
• Wear season appropriate protective clothing and comfortable walking shoes.
• Leave a note for your family saying when you departed and where you went.
• Take your Family Emergency supply kit 
• Lock your house.
• Follow the routes specified by officials. Do not take shortcuts.
• Notify your Family Contact of your location and condition.

Home Emergency Survival Kit, suitable for Evacuation:

• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries
• First-aid kit
• Candles and matches/lighter
• Extra car/house keys and cash (including coins/cards for public telephones)
• Important papers (identification for everyone, personal documents)
• Food and bottled water
• Clothing and footwear (one change of clothes per person)
• Blankets and sleeping bags (one blanket or sleeping bag per person)
• Toilet paper and other personal supplies
• Medication
• Backpack/duffel bag (or something else to carry the emergency survival kit, in case you have to evacuate)
• Whistle (in case you need to attract someone's attention)
• Playing cards, games

Car Emergency Survival Kit:

• Shovel
• Sand, salt or kitty litter
• Traction mats
• Tow chain
• Compass
• Cloth rags or roll of paper towel
• Work gloves
• Warning light or road flares
• Extra clothing and footwear
• Emergency food pack
• Axe or hatchet
• Booster cables
• Ice scraper and brush
• Road maps
• Matches and a "survival" candle in a deep coffee can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
• Fire extinguisher
• Methyl Hydrate or Isopropyl Alcohol (for fuel line and windshield de-icing)
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• First-aid kit with seatbelt cutter
• Blanket (look for special "survival" blankets)

Personal Preparedness

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighbourhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if you did not have water, gas, electricity or telephones after a major emergency? To ensure the safety and well-being of you and your family, you should prepare now to take care of your own basic needs for at least the first 72 hours (link to list in preparedness) following a major disaster.

If a disaster strikes, remember to:

• Remain calm and patient. Put your plan into action.
• Listen to your battery-powered radio or television for news and instructions from local authorities.
• Evacuate, if advised to do so. Wear season appropriate protective clothing and sturdy shoes.
• Use flashlights. Do not use matches, lighters or turn on electrical switches.
• Call your family contact
• Check on your neighbours, especially elderly or disabled persons.
• Make sure you have an adequate water supply in case water service is cut off.
• Stay away from downed power lines.
• Confine or secure your pet.

Additional information is available at  http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx.

Farm and livestock preparedness information is available at https://www.alberta.ca/farm-animals-and-livestock-preparedness.aspx

While all utilities companies strive to maintain their services, from time to time there are events that interrupt that service.

Things to do in a power outage:
Check with your neighbours to see if they have electricity.

• If it is a neighbourhood power outage, unplug all appliances to avoid damage from a possible power surge when the power is restored. Shut off all lights except one to signal the return of power. Shut off computer equipment.
• If your service has been interrupted contact FORTIS (310-9473); see link to Emergency Phone Numbers.
• Report all downed power lines to FORTIS and 911. Remember - downed wires are live so stay away from them.
• Turn on your battery powered radio and tune it to a local radio station.
• If your home is the only one in the neighbourhood without power, the problem could be in your residence. Contact FORTIS or a certified journeyman electrician for assistance.
• Natural gas furnaces Contact ATCO for information, 1-800-511-3447 or a certified journeyman plumber/ gasfitter.
• Be aware that food in freezers may thaw during extended power outages.
• Do not use the telephone during a disaster situation; you may tie up the phone lines.

There are a variety of potential emergencies that may cause difficulties for the citizens of Beaver County and surrounding area. Awareness of these events is a starting point to becoming prepared.

Events that can cause problems

• Thunderstorms
• Hail
• Heavy snowfall
• Lightning
• Tornadoes
• Blizzards
• Heavy rainfall
• Strong Winds
• Severe Cold Weather
• Flooding
• Extreme Hot Weather
• Hazardous Materials Accident
• Loss of Utilities
• Human Error
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