The earthquakes that have struck both Japan and Ecuador in the past month, disrupting and forever changing the lives of thousands, serves as a reminder to us the importance of being personally prepared. Throughout British Columbia more than 2,500 earthquakes are recorded each year and an earthquake capable of causing structural damage is expected once every decade.

While earthquakes have the potential to impact our lives greatly, the fact is that emergencies of all sizes – wind and snow storms that cause power outage, wildfires causing evacuations to landslides causing boil water orders – all have the potential to cause varying degrees of impact and disruptions to us and our families. Taking a few steps to prepare can significantly reduce the risk and lessen the consequences of emergencies of all sizes.

If you and your family have not thought about being prepared for an emergency, Emergency Preparedness Week is the week to do so. Taking place next week, Health Emergency Management BC (HEMBC) will be hosting a series of activities for Emergency Preparedness Week to encourage all staff to take the time to be prepared. Come join us at one of these events:

Monday, May 2nd

o Richmond Hospital – Westminster Health Centre – 3rd Floor – Room 3037: EOC Open House from 11:30AM to 1:30PM
o Surrey Central City – Arbutus Room: Personal Preparedness Presentation from 12:00PM to 12:45PM

Tuesday, May 3rd

o Children’s and Women’s Health Care Centre of BC – Ambulatory Care Building – Room K0-155: EOC Open House from 1:00PM to 2:30PM

Wednesday, May 4th

o Lions Gate Hospital – Evergreen House Boardroom – Room B36: EOC Open House from 1:00PM to 3:30PM

Thursday, May 5th

o Vancouver General Hospital – Jim Pattison South – Room 1762: VA EOC Open House from 11:30AM to 1:30PM
o Vancouver General Hospital – Jim Pattison South – Room 1770/1771: VC EOC Open House from 11:30AM to 1:30PM
o Youville Residence – Conference Room: Personal Preparedness Presentation from 12:00PM to 1:00PM
o Surrey Central City – Dogwood Room: Personal Preparedness Presentation from 12:30PM to 1:15PM

Friday, May 6th

o Holy Family Hospital – Dining Room: Personal Preparedness Presentation from 12:00PM to 1:00PM
o Mission Memorial Hospital – Boardroom #2: EOC Open House from 1:00PM to 3:00PM
o Honoria Conway – Conference Room: Personal Preparedness Presentation from 3:00PM to 4:00PM

Monday, May 16th

o Brock Fahrni – Multi-Purpose Room: Personal Preparedness Presentation from 2:00PM to 3:00PM

SPECIAL OFFER:

To help everyone become prepared, the following vendors will be offering discounts to all health authority staff that order emergency supplies during the month of May (discount run from May 1st to 31st).

F.A.S.T. First Aid & Survival Technologies Ltd:
• Discount: 15% discount on complete emergency kits for orders over $100 before taxes
• Website: http://fast-safety.myshopify.com
• Discount Code: HEMBC

Total Prepare Inc.
• Discount: 10% discount on all items (excludes SuperTankers, MREs, Blue Can Water, freeze dried food packages that include multiple buckets); free shipping on orders over $150
• Website: http://www.totalprepare.ca
• Discount code: hembc2016

During Emergency Preparedness week, HEMBC encourages everyone to take concrete actions to be better prepared. Please do your Part! Develop an emergency plan for your family. If you live alone, create a plan for yourself with links to your neighbours and friends. Experience has shown that individual and family preparedness goes a long way to help people cope better – both during and after a major disaster. Get prepared now!

More information

For more information on how to become prepared, visit HEMBC’s Emergency Preparedness Week page.