What can I do to keep my family safe in an emergency?
What does Emergency Management Altona do?
What does a fire truck, police truck, or a piece of public works equipment look like up close?
Why does that siren go off every day at noon?
Altona residents were able to find the answers to these questions and more last week at the Emergency Preparedness Expo.
The family-friendly event was held at the Millennium Exhibition Centre in conjunction with Emergency Preparedness Week.
It gave residents the chance to learn more about staying safe during an emergency, and to see some of the community’s emergency equipment firsthand.
Visitors also had a chance to win prizes and enjoy dinner by donation from the Altona Youth for Christ Food Truck.
Municipal emergency coordinator Perry Batchelor says it was fire Chief Greg Zimmerman’s idea to host the event.
“It was a great idea. We had about 100 people come through the facility. Kids had the opportunity to climb into some of the trucks, and police, fire, and public works described what their role is during an emergency and answered questions from the public.
“This event is all about disaster management and getting to know the people on our emergency management team and the methods and equipment we use in response.”
The team, Batchelor explains, is there to support local response services.
“For example, if there was an apartment fire in January and major evacuations had to happen, we would have to get people into a centre to keep them warm. We have to consider every angle and try to plan for it.”
The Town’s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) is located at the Altona Civic Centre, where the team meets quarterly to review their plans.
Every municipality in Manitoba is required to have a municipal emergency coordinator.
“There are lots of requirements. My background in law enforcement really helps, but there’s still further training courses,” notes Batchelor, who served as chief of police in Altona before his retirement last year. “I’ve done six courses and I’ve still got four more to get through.”
He adds that while the responsibil- ity of emergency planning rests on him, ultimately all decisions must go through the right channels.
“If we had to declare a state of emergency, it must be approved by council. And even after it passes through council, it must go through the province and the minister. They can say we overstepped, or they can support it. Declaring a state of emergency is not taken lightly, and is looked at by many different eyes and must be substantiated.”
Batchelor says it’s important that people take steps to be prepared for an emergency.
“All residents need to consider whether they’re prepared to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of an emergency,” he says. “In a significant event, all our resources are going to be stretched to the max, and it’s important that people have things like 72-hour kits to get them through, making sure they have things like enough food and water. That they have a way to stay informed. That they have ways to charge their devices, and a way to stay warm.”
During Emergency Preparedness Week, the Town tested both their tornado siren and the Altona Connect system.
About 1,000 devices are connected to the notification system so far. The Town would like that number to increase.
“People can sign up on the Town of Altona website or by calling the Town Office or by dropping by,” notes pub- lic information officer Sarah Cail. “We just need your name, address, phone number and email address. That way they can get the latest accurate in- formation from us, through email, phone, or text.”
