Recent Evacuations Reveal Need for Clear Emergency Plans
In the wake of near hurricane-force winds and subsequent fires in many parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, many are left wondering what could or should have been different; Kindersley authorities have a piece to the puzzle.
“The night was one of near chaos in some parts of our province.” Bernie Morton, Director of Emergency Measures in Kindersley, recalled the evening of October 17, when several communities were served an evacuation notice in the face of runaway wildfires.
At 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, Morton received a call from Saskatchewan’s Emergency Management and Fire Safety (EMFS) personnel who reported out of control fires near the community of Burstall. Morton was advised that the community was evacuating to the town of Leader and to have emergency measures on standby in the case the town of Leader would need to do the same.
At 6:30 p.m. Morton was again advised from EMFS that the town of Leader was evacuating and residents were given notice to flee towards either Swift Current or Kindersley. “At that time the evacuation was already well-underway in Leader, so Kindersley had less than 45 minutes to ready itself for evacuees.”
The Emergency measures branch sprang into action and ultimately aided around 225 people. “We were certainly able to handle more than what came our way; the community support was great as hotels, restaurants, churches, and individuals came together to support and aid those who were evacuated.”
Mayor Rod Perkins released a statement commending the emergency responders in the community; “I am really pleased that we have a well-developed emergency response plan with competent, dedicated responders, staff, and volunteers who put that plan into action. We are grateful that so many could be assisted and that the fires were put out as quickly as they were.”
Morton noted that in situations like October 17, often the hardest issue to deal with is panic. “Many were close to panic that night, and all that panic creates is mass confusion and disorder. Panic causes normally clear-headed people to make rash, unsafe decisions and often creates more work and danger for the emergency personnel.”
Morton urges households, businesses and even communities to re-examine their emergency plans. “Emergency plans can even be something as simple as putting critical items like non-perishable food, flashlights, cash and warm clothing in one area that is quick to access and then knowing where to go if you are in danger.”
Morton listed getprepared.gc.ca as a great resource households can use to prepare for emergencies. “When people have a plan, when they know what to grab, and they know where to go, panic is much less likely to occur, which just make things so much safer and easier for everyone involved.”
Morton also noted the danger of here-say in the face of emergencies. “Households need to know where to get their updates and where to find reliable information.”
Following the Town of Kindersley on social media such as Twitter and Facebook, or listening for radio broadcasts will keep accidental misinformation from being shared.
emergencyalert.saskatchewan.ca is also an official source to keep up-to-date on current alerts in the province.
Feature Image: Local photographer Jenny Hagan captured thse images of the recent wild res, see more of Jenny’s work at backroadphotos.ca
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