The Saskatoon Fire Department has some tips as Emergency Preparedness Week gets underway. It’s an annual event across Canada to encourage Canadians to take concrete actions to be better prepared to protect themselves and their families during emergencies. The theme this year is Be Prepared for Anything.

For example, the Fire Department notes that natural disasters may be beyond our control, but there are ways to reduce the risk and the impact of whatever emergency we might face. The advice from the Fire Deparment is to know the risks for your area and wherever you are travelling, and how to respond to those risks.

Here is the complete list:
In order to be prepared, the Saskatoon Fire Department encourages residents to:
-Know the risks – Every community can have different risks. What are the risks for your home, your business, and when you are travelling? Knowing the risks and how to respond are part of being prepared.
-Make a plan – Develop an emergency plan tailored to your family, or your business/workplace. How will you get in touch with each other? Where is the list of emergency phone numbers? Where do you need to go if you need to evacuate your home or business/workplace?
-Get an emergency kit – During an emergency, we will all need some basic supplies. We may need to get by without power or tap water. Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in an emergency.
-Follow trustworthy sources on social media – Examples include Saskatoon Fire Department, Saskatoon Police Service and Saskatoon Emergency Management.
-Sign up for notifynow messages – When a public safety concern arises, notifynow sends public safety messages to residents of Saskatoon via telephone, email or text message with important information on what to do, where to go and what to expect.