Minister Blair marks Emergency Preparedness Week 2021

Ottawa – May 2, 2021 – Today, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, issued the following statement:

“Today marks to beginning of Canada’s 26^th annual Emergency Preparedness (EP) week, an opportunity to remind Canadians of the importance of being prepared for any emergency situation that may occur in their local community. This year’s theme, “Emergency Preparedness: Be Ready for Anything”, reminds Canadians to take action by ensuring their family’s readiness. Even though the global pandemic is still top of mind, emergencies know no bounds, which is why it is crucial that we be prepared for unforeseen circumstances and continue to follow public health guidance.

On May 5^th, most provincial and territorial partners plan to issue a public awareness test of the Alert Ready system over television, radio and wireless networks. Regular testing of the system helps ensure that in times of an emergency or disaster, we are prepared to deliver urgent and lifesaving warnings to the public. I encourage Canadians to visit the Alert Ready website to find out what time they can expect to receive the alert in your area.

As Canadians, we know that our expansive geography and contrasting climates bring a range of natural hazards that often vary from region to region. On March 8^th, Public Safety Canada launched an Emergency Preparedness Advertising Campaign. It demonstrates that with a little preparation we can respond to these events quickly by knowing the risks, making a plan and building an emergency kit. We also know that spring can bring much flooding across the country as we enter spring. Flood ready is a great resource for Canadians to help protect their property and community from damage caused by flooding.

This year, Canadians have a chance to win one of seven emergency preparedness kits by joining our online social media challenge. All you have to do is share a tip or picture showing what you are doing to ensure you and your family are prepared to cope during an emergency and use the hashtag #ReadyForAnything. It can be as simple as making your own emergency kit, creating a family emergency plan, or becoming more informed about the hazards in your area. Visit the EP Week website for more information.

Building awareness and understanding of disaster risks is an important priority under the Emergency Management Strategy for Canada: Toward a Resilient 2030. The Strategy is a shared vision with federal, provincial and territorial partners aimed at strengthening Canada’s ability to reduce the risk of disasters and increase the resiliency of all individuals and communities in Canada. This Strategy aligns with the Government’s recent commitment to develop a national climate change adaptation strategy, in which Public Safety Canada and other federal departments like Natural Resources Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Infrastructure Canada will play a key role.

As outlined in Budget 2021, the Government of Canada has proposed a number of measures to better understand and prepare for climate-related disasters and to mitigate their impact. These measures will help make communities across Canada safer and more resilient for generations to come.

Although emergencies are different in nature, they do share one thing in common. All emergencies count on the brave people who work day in and day out to keep Canadians safe, in communities across the country. This week is an opportune time to recognize and thank first responders, volunteers, emergency management professionals and all those working to provide essential services to Canadians in our continued fight against COVID-19.

As we continue to navigate these trying times, we must continue to work together in our shared responsibility to be better prepared to respond to emergencies and strengthening Canada’s overall resiliency”.