Emergency Preparedness
Village of Telkwa Emergency Program​
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The Emergency Program Act Legislation requires all local governments to be prepared to respond to emergencies. Local governments are responsible for providing Public Safety, preparedness, response activities, and implementing emergency plans within their boundaries.
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There are a lot of different situations that could result in an emergency that the Village needs to respond to in order to protect the safety and security of the municipality and its residents. Whether it's a storm, fire, or another unpredictable event, our emergency plan ensures that we are planned for the worst, while hoping for the best!
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Residents can access our full Emergency Plan here and our Evacuation Guide here. We will provide summary versions of these reports at a later date.
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We want to encourage residents and businesses to familiarize themselves with the Village's Emergency Response plan so that in the event of an emergency we are all educated and prepared for an informed emergency response. Together, we can ensure the resiliency of our community through a calm, kind, and collective response.
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Personal Preparedness ​
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Emergencies happen; your best strategy in dealing with a disaster is to be as prepared as possible. You should be able to take care of yourself and your family for 72 Hours. You can do this by having an emergency plan and an emergency kit. Ideally, your kit should be stored in a waterproof and wheeled container. You may have to stay in your home without electricity or water, or you may have to evacuate your home for a period of time.
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PreparedBC has developed a number of guides and resources available to help families, neighborhoods, businesses and more prepare.
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Put your supplies in one or two containers, such as plastic bins or duffel bags. Store them in an area of your home that’s easy to get to, such as a hall closet, spare room or garage.
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Non-perishable food: three-day to one-week supply, with a manual can opener
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Water: four litres per person, per day for drinking and sanitation
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Phone charger, battery bank or inverter
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Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
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Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight
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Extra batteries
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First-aid kit and medications
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Personal toiletries and items, such as an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses
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Copy of your emergency plan, copies of important documents, such as insurance papers
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Cash in small bills
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Garbage bags and moist towelettes for personal sanitation
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Seasonal clothing, sturdy footwear and emergency blanket
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Dust masks if you live in an area that's prone to earthquakes
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Whistle
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Help/OK Sign (PDF): Display the appropriate side outward in your window during a disaster.
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You may need to leave immediately in the event of an emergency. Be ready to go by having a smaller version of your emergency kit in an easy-to-access place in your home. In addition to having one at home, create grab-and-go bags for your workplace and vehicles that contain:
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Food (ready to eat) and water
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Phone charger and battery bank
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Small battery-powered or hand-crank radio
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Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight
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Extra batteries
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Small first-aid kit and personal medications
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Personal toiletries and items, such as an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses
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Copy of your emergency plan, copies of important documents, such as insurance papers
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Cash in small bills
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Local map with your family meeting place identified
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Seasonal clothing and an emergency blanket
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Pen and notepad
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Whistle
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An emergency plan is a playbook for how you and your household will respond to a disaster. Knowing what to do will reduce anxiety and help keep you focused and safe.
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Visit PreparedBC to download guides to help with your planning. They'll prompt you to consider what preparedness should look like for you based on the unique needs of your household, your neighbourhood, or your business.
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PreparedBC offers downloadable guides and fill-in-the-blank plans to help you prepare for emergencies. Many of these guides are available for pick up in the Village Office.
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For more information or inquiries about these guides, please contact PreparedBC@gov.bc.ca
Seasonal Hazard Highlight:​
Severe Weather
Severe Weather Preparedness
Excerpt from PreparedBC
Severe weather like thunderstorms, hail, blizzards, high winds or heavy rain can happen without warning and in any season. Severe weather often causes a loss of power.
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To prepare for severe weather:
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Develop an emergency plan
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Put together your emergency kit
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Severe weather checklist
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Have a battery-operated radio
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This allows you to listen to your local station for warnings, advice and instructions
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​​Stow flashlights with extra batteries
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Winterize your home
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Insulate walls and attics
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Weather-strip doors and windows
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Clear rain gutters
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Remove tree branches that could fall during strong winds
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Inspect your chimney or flue
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This helps prevent structural fires and ensures smoke, carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful gases are properly vented
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Make sure you have an adequate supply of food and water
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Food in your fridge and freezer is usually safe to consume if the power is out for less than four hours
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Fireplaces, wood stoves, barbecues and camp stoves can be used outdoors for emergency cooking. DO NOT use barbecues or camp stoves indoors
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Vehicle preparedness checklist
Preparing your vehicle (PDF, 721KB) includes packing a winter survival kit. Your kit should include:
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Grab-and-go bag containing water, non-perishable food, and first aid supplies
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Windshield scraper and snow brush
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Extra windshield washer fluid
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Spare tire, wheel wrench and jack
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Shovel and traction mat, sand or kitty litter
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Flashlight and extra batteries
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Battery jumper cables
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Extra clothing and footwear
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Flares and matches or lighter
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Fuel line antifreeze
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Tire chains and gloves
Weather alerts
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Plan your route and keep up-to-date with weather information:
You can also call toll-free 1-800-550-4997 for B.C. road information 24 hours a day.
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For more information or inquiries about severe weather preparedness, please contact us at PreparedBC@gov.bc.ca.
Emergency Preparedness for Businesses
To minimize the impact of disasters on employees, property and operations, businesses must make the right preparations. These include: creating a disaster plan, identifying priorities, training employees on emergency preparedness, as well as reviewing the business' insurance coverage on an annual basis.
Herewith some resources to help you prepare your business in case of an emergency situation:
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Top 10 Steps to Prepare Your Business for Evacuation provides a 1-page resource highlighting the top 10 steps necessary to prepare a business for an evacuation.
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PreparedBC offers a Library of downloadable guides to help your business prepare for emergencies. Guides specifically relating to business include: