Stonewall residents can feel ready to respond to emergencies after attending the community’s first ever Emergency Preparedness Week open house event.
On Monday, May 5, crowds gathered at the Heritage Arts Centre in Quarry Park for the well-received event that coincided with Emergency Preparedness Week, which ran from May 4 to 10.
“The importance of the event was to raise awareness with our residents and recognize the importance of being prepared for an emergency event,” said municipal emergency coordinator Dennis Peterson.
Tribune Photos Submitted
“The Town of Stonewall’s emergency measures team was on hand at the event to answers questions about emergency preparedness along with Emergency Measures Organization Manitoba, Public Safety Canada, Stonewall’s Fire Department, and the Commissioners. STARS Air Ambulance was also there with one of their helicopter pilots. Unfortunately, Canadian Red Cross was called away at the last minute to assist with evacuations because of the wildfires in Manitoba’s northern communities.”
One highlight of the event was the attendance and participation of students from Ecole RW Bobby Bend School. Peterson was impressed with the number of questions the kids asked.
“The students were able to get a chance to see the vehicles operated by the town, fire department and EMO Manitoba up close and get a chance to see inside of each vehicle,” he added.
Everybody needs an emergency plan, and Peterson posed some important questions to help you prepare.
“Where do you go if there is an evacuation of the town? If you only have minutes to leave your home, what do you take? If there is a power outage, do you have a way of charging your electronic devices? Do you have battery-powered lights? How would you communicate if help is needed?” he asked.
“These are some of the things each person as an individual must think of and make a plan to be prepared for an emergency event.”
Peterson also noted that the Voyent Alert system will be replacing the town’s current CodeRed system. Once the new system rolls out, residents will be using it to receive emergency alerts in and around the community. One of the main reasons for the change is because CodeRed is based out of Florida while Voyent Alert is based out of Calgary.
Peterson said that when the town first went with OnSolve, which is the parent company of CodeRed, there weren’t a lot of other options available. Recently, another company called GardaWorld bought OnSolve, which creates some uncertainty about the transition.
“The Voyent Alert system is Canadian company, and the town is looking to switch over in the fall of 2025. We believe that Voyent Alert is a better option for our residents,” he said, adding that they hadn’t experienced any issues with CodeRed.
“We are starting to inform residents of the change and will be collecting contact information for Voyent Alert throughout the summer.”
The cost of CodeRed and Voyent Alert is comparable; however, CodeRed charges its fees in U.S. funds. Since the value of the American versus Canadian dollar varies, it can be unpredictable — particularly with the current market.
The cost of CodeRed has been around C$4,500 to C$5,000 annually, depending on the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar. Voyent Alert has quoted a cost of $5,400 for 2026.
“While the cost is slightly higher, the benefits from reduced currency fluctuation and retaining our data in Canada outweighed the nominal price increase,” Peterson said.
As another component of safety, it’s important to note that all residents need to follow the guidelines and rules of the current fire ban. More information is posted on the Town of Stonewall’s website at www.stonewall.ca and on the RM of Rockwood’s website at www.rockwood.ca.
