The City is proclaiming this week (May 3-9) as Emergency Preparedness Week, a national event coordinated by Public Safety Canada, in Prince George.
The goal of Emergency Preparedness Week is to raise community awareness about the need to prepare for the possibility of an emergency.
In particular, the City is encouraging residents to make a plan for their households in case of an emergency and to assemble an emergency kit, such as a grab-and-go bag or 72-hour kit, which be quickly accessed during any emergency.
“Prince George is surrounded by forest and we have the Fraser and Nechako Rivers flowing through our community. This in itself requires us to be knowledgeable and a prepared public is our best resource in the event of an emergency,” says Lyn Hall, Mayor of Prince George.
“Council encourages residents to visit the Emergency Management BC’s website and the City’s emergency planning page, and find out how they can assemble an emergency kit for themselves, their families, and their pets.”
Last week, City staff began installing signs at Paddlewheel Park near Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park on how to prepare for flooding.
That area often experiences flooding first when the Fraser River rises during the spring freshet.
The BC River Forecast Centre is projecting rising river levels for the area over the next few weeks and the City encourages all residents to pay attention to river level forecasts.
In addition, 2017 and 2018 were the worst forest fire years on record in BC and saw the evacuation of a number of BC communities.
During Emergency Preparedness Week, the City of Prince George will also be posting daily updates on social media about how residents can educate themselves about the threats, and how to prepare their households.
In addition, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George is encouraging residents to become ‘fire smart’.
Applying FireSmart principles to your property include:
• Cleaning pine needles and leaves from roof and gutters.
• Raking and removing pine needles/dry leaves within a minimum of 1.5 metres from your home’s foundation.
• Relocate any woodpiles located closer than 10 metres to your home and other structures.
• Clear above and below porches, decks, sheds and play structures to remove debris.
• Mow your grass to a height of 10 centimetres or less.
• Relocate items stored under decks and porches to alternative storage.
• Gasoline cans and portable propane tanks should never be stored indoors and should be located away from the home.
More information about FireSmarting your property:
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