Emergency Preparedness

TOWNSHIP OF

                                 ALNWICK/HALDIMAND                                 

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

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“Personal Preparedness ....... It’s Everyone’s Business”

We’re prepared!  Are you?

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Emergencies can strike anywhere, at any time. That’s why everyone is encouraged to be prepared—by having a plan, assembling a survival kit, and by staying informed.

You and your family should be prepared to be self-sufficient for a period of 72 hours in the event of an emergency.  You can never predict when an emergency may take place but you can plan ways to cope with an emergency.  An emergency can see your lives seriously impacted if you’re not prepared, but if you are prepared, it can just be an inconvenience.  Emergency preparedness begins with you.

The aim of the Alnwick/Haldimand Emergency Response Plan is to make provision for the extraordinary arrangements and measures that may have to be taken to protect the health, safety, welfare, environment and economic health of the residents, businesses and visitors of the township when faced with an emergency.

Disasters come in many forms.  For most people, the possibility of being involved in a disaster may seem remote.  The Canadian and Ontario governments clearly state that each individual is responsible for their own safety, and the well-being of their family.  Knowing what to do in an emergency can help you better control the situation and be in a position to recover faster.

The Township of Alnwick/Haldimand provide training to many staff members annually as well as provide a mock emergency exercise which involves all departments of the municipality.

Local residents can assist the emergency personnel by ensuring that each family or home has a 72 hour (3-day) emergency kit.

For more information please contact:
Dianne Nicholls, Community Emergency Management Coordinator
Alnwick/Haldimand Fire Rescue
2267 County Road 23
Grafton ON K0K 2G0
Phone:    905-349-2542
Fax:     905-349-3902
Email:     dnicholls@ahtwp.ca

72 Hour Survival Kit

Emergencies and disasters can happen at any time and any place.  Hydro can be out for hours or days, roads closed and supplies unavailable and you can plan to be prepared at home and at work.

With increased levels of fear and anxiety, it makes sense to prepare for the unexpected.  Everyone should be prepared to take care of themselves and their families for up to seven days in the event of an emergency or disaster.  For example, it could take that long to clear roads due to a severe winter storm.

The following are recommended guidelines to assist you in gathering items you should have on hand.  Everyone in your family should know where these items are stored.

Checklists
Think of any special needs your family might have and include any other items you would need.  Here are some suggestions:

Babies/toddlers

• diapers
• formula & food
• crayons & paper
• bottled milk
• toys

Other family members

• one week’s supply of any required medications
• extra eye glasses
• copies of prescriptions
• one week’s supply of any required medications
• extra eye glasses
• copies of prescriptions
• batteries for medical appliances
• extra oxygen cylinder (if required)

Emergency food and water kit
Have at least a three-day supply of food and water. Choose read-to-eat foods that don’t need refrigeration.  Also keep in mind that if the utilities are out and you have no alternate cooking source, you should select foods that won’t require cooking. Replace canned and dry goods once per year.

• three day supply of water – at least four litres per person per day – two for drinking and two for food preparation, hygiene and dish washing.  Keep a supply of water purification tablets as well.
• canned food: (soups, stews, baked beans, meat, etc.)
• pasta
• peanut butter
• salt & pepper
• crackers and biscuits
• syrup
• instant coffee and tea
• honey
• jam
• sugar

 
Equipment

• knives, forks, spoons
• disposable cups and plates
• manual can opener; bottle opener
• fuel stove and fuel – do not use a barbecue indoors
• waterproof matches and plastic garbage bags
• pocket knife or multi tool

Survival Equipment Kit

• flashlight and batteries
• radio and batteries
• spare batteries
• first-aid kit
• candles and matches/lighter
• extra car keys and cash
• important papers (identification, insurance, etc.)
• food and bottled water
• clothing and footwear
• blankets or sleeping bags
• toilet paper and other personal supplies such as shampoo, hairbrush, tooth brush and toothpaste, soap and a towel and face cloth
• medication
• backpack/duffel bag
• whistle
• playing cards, games
• paper towels
• warning light/road flares
• ice scraper and brush
• matches and a survival candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
• methyl hydrate (for fuel line and windshield de-icing)
• first-aid kit with seatbelt cutter
• blanket

Create Your Plan

Please click the link below to create your own family plan.

http://www.getprepared.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx

Emergency Management Ontario – Preparedness Information:

http://www.emergencymanagementontario.ca/english/beprepared/beprepared.html

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Emergency Plan Documents

• Community Emergency Management Program By-Law #108-2011
• Community Emergency Management Plan

Also view the brochures below:

Car Emergency Kit

Power Outages - Be Prepared

Pet Preparedness

Persons with Additional Preparedness & Mobility Needs

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Upcoming Events
 

There are no events planned at this time.

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Tornado Myths And Misconceptions
 

1. Open windows in the house in advance of a tornado to equalize the pressure… If strong winds or a tornado are in the area, the primary concern is to get into the lowest level of the house, the basement if it has one. Many damaging wind events and tornadoes carry debris which can break through exterior walls and windows…so being near a window in these cases can be dangerous. Houses don’t “explode” due to a pressure difference, they are destroyed as wind-driven debris shatters exterior walls and windows and allows the wind forces inside the home. Opening the windows will make no difference.

2. Tornadoes skip… some still believe that the difference in damage intensity along the track of a tornado is a result of the visible funnel lifting and lowering as the tornado moves. However, it is actually changes in the speed and intensity of the surface vortex of winds in a tornado which causes the differences in damage intensity seen along the track of some storms.

3. Tornadoes are attracted to mobile home parks… no truth to this myth. However, it is a fact that you can find a number of mobile home parks in the parts of the United States most prone to these devastating storms.

4. If caught on a highway with a tornado nearby, take shelter under a highway overpass… this myth can be a dangerous one if followed. Highway overpasses can actually act to funnel or increase the winds of tornadoes and can also be areas where wind-blown debris will collect. They are a dangerous place to be when a tornado is near. If caught on a highway with a tornado nearby, make every attempt to get off the highway and into a solid shelter. If that is not possible and you cannot drive away from the tornado, then the shelter of last resort is to pull over, abandon the vehicle and seek shelter by lying in a ditch or culvert.

5. Twisted damage like trees and road signs must be caused by a tornado… both tornadoes and damaging winds can cause twisted damage. A burst of winds striking a tree that has more leaves on one side than the other can cause the tree to twist as the side with more leaves provides more wind resistance.

6. All tornadoes have fully visible funnel clouds from the base of the cloud to the ground… It is important to note that the funnel cloud does not need to be visible all the way from the base of the cloud to the ground for a tornado to be occurring. Sometimes the funnel may be visible only partway towards the ground but if swirling debris is occurring underneath this funnel at the surface then a tornado is still occurring.

7. A freight train noise means a tornado is near… the sound of a freight train or roaring jet engine can occur both with tornadoes and with damaging bursts of wind. It is the combined sound of the wind and the debris in the air that makes this noise.

8. Green sky means a tornado will occur… a green or yellowish sky can sometimes indicate a strong thunderstorm but not necessarily that the storm will produce a tornado.

9. During a tornado go to the southwest corner of your basement… the corner of the basement that you shelter in is not important. Getting into your basement is the most important thing. Once in the basement you should stay away from windows which may shatter during the storm. So a small enclosed room in your basement would be your best shelter.

SOURCE:
Geoff Coulson, Warning Preparedness Meteorologist Ontario Region Client Services, Environment Canada