IDENTIFYING THE RISKS
The intent of this portion of the workshop is to provide some resources for you to explore what some of the experts are saying about the types of threats those living in the Pacific Northwest should be considering.
A good starting point for British Columbians wanting to understand the natural risks and other hazards regularly monitored by the British Columbia Provincial Emergency Program is to review each of the risks on this page. The Canadian Red Cross maintains a similar list.
The Washington Military Department – Emergency Management Division provides a site outlining the risks for those living in Washington State. Perhaps one of the most widely respected resources is The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
PLANNING
It’s really easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of planning information available however hopefully by reviewing the sites provided you’re now asking the question – Where do I start? Below you’ll find a collection of planning sites that have checklists and other specific recommendations for you to consider.
However, before taking a look at the sites listed below, you may want to view this short overview video entitled Making a Family Emergency Plan that nicely reviews some of the key planning considerations.
When reviewing this selection of websites, think about your planning process as a ‘mix and match’ activity where some of the topics will be relevant to you and others will not be. By eliminating those topics that don’t apply, such as pet considerations for non-pet owners, then you’ll be on your way to reducing the information overflow. As well, consider if some of the templates could work for you either as is, or with minor modifications.
Government of Canada: Your Emergency Preparedness Guide – This comprehensive resource includes a planning template in PDF and ePub files (English, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Inukitut, and Traditional Chinese Characters:
Family Emergency Preparedness Plan – Another workbook style resource
Emergency Preparedness Videos – Many of these preparedness videos are now available in multiple languages in the Flash format. The languages include: Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Cambodian.
Zombie Preparedness Week: Are you ready?
BLOGGING ACTIVITY
Now that you’ve reviewed the resources presented, please use the comments section at the bottom of this blog page to share your impressions, ideas and questions with the workshop group.