Emergency preparedness recommended as wildfires burn to the north

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on May 10, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

This is Emergency Preparedness Week and the City of Lethbridge is recommending residents be ready in case one happens here.

Luke Palmer, the City’s Emergency Planning and Risk Manager said Monday in light of the wildfire situation in the northern part of the province, the timing is right to address preparedness.

On Tuesday the City said Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services deployed a crew of four firefighters to help on the Buck Creek Fire near Drayton Valley in Brazeau county. They will be on a three-day deployment at which time the situation will be reassessed, said the City, to determine if further assistance is required.

Palmer told media there are three steps involved in preparedness, including knowing the risks faced here. Wildfire is a risk in Lethbridge as it is in the communities now dealing with fires in the province.

Palmer said secondly people need to make a plan so families can escape situations together. It should include planning where and how to meet and how to communicate with each other.

He said if people are home they should know how to evacuate.

The third component of being prepared, said Palmer, is having an emergency kit that will last 72 hours, whether it be at home, in a vehicle or at work or all three in tandem.

“It’s really important that emergency preparedness starts at the individual level,” said Palmer.

In the event first responders can’t reach people, they need to be ready to take care of themselves.

Kits can be purchased or created, said Palmer, suggesting people buy an extra can of beans, for example, when going to a grocery store.

Complacency is part of human nature, Palmer said, adding that only a third of Canadians have an emergency kit. According to a 2022 survey, 43 per cent of Albertans feel they aren’t prepared for an emergency.

The theme this week is ‘Build Preparedness Habits.’ The province is trying to move away from 72-hour kits, he said, but the 72-hour mark is a good trigger to see how much is needed in a kit for an entire family.

Wildfire is the top risk in the city, Palmer said. Dangerous goods are the second highest risk given the major roadways here and a major train track. Severe weather is the third highest risk with an increase in severe storms being seen, Palmer said.

“We certainly are cautious in monitoring what’s happening with the weather as well.”

A fire advisory for Lethbridge is presently issued for only the river valley and the City has not yet enacted a fire ban.