Oshawa encouraging residents to be prepared for emergencies

Emergency Preparedness Week is next week and it seems a good a time as any to remind people that emergencies such as severe weather events or prolonged power outages can occur anytime and anywhere.

Residents are encouraged to be ready for an emergency by preparing an emergency kit for their home. The kit should have enough food, water and any applicable medications to last at least 72 hours. And don’t forget to think of your pets in that three-day plan. At minimum, have food and water, proper identification, a leash and/or carrier for them.

The City of Oshawa website has a variety of resources to assist you in preparing for and acting during an emergency, including:

an Emergency Preparedness video with information on:

• what to include in your family and vehicle emergency kit
• types of emergencies and how to respond before, during and after the event.

Emergency Preparedness Week is a national awareness initiative that has taken place annually since 1996. It is a collaborative event undertaken by provincial and territorial emergency management organizations supporting activities at the local level, in concert with Public Safety Canada and partners. More information is available on the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General website.

During a local emergency, information updates from the City of Oshawa will be available through the City’s Emergency Updates webpage and alerts, the City’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, and by calling Service Oshawa at 905-436-3311.

The City encourages residents and businesses to bookmark its emergency communications and to subscribe to emergency alerts so you can quickly access updates from governing authorities should an emergency situation arise.

For more information on Emergency Preparedness, or to subscribe to City of Oshawa Emergency Alerts visit www.oshawa.ca/emergencynews.