When Darcy McLeod, Director Community Development, Parks & Recreation made a presentation to the regular meeting of Yorkton Council in April reminding the community that National Emergency Preparedness Week聽 was coming up May 3-9, most likely paid little attention.
The annual, national public awareness campaign reminds Canadians to be prepared for emergencies at all times and that, in an emergency, families should be able to survive without assistance for three full days, he noted, adding according to Public Safety Canada, 鈥渋f an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.鈥� However, that takes planning, which is what Emergency Preparedness is all about - 小蓝视频 ready for nearly everything.鈥�
While the week might not have caught attention, a weekend wild fire which threatened Burgis Beach, Sandy Beach and properties in the area, should have brought the need to be prepared into focus.
Residents of both resort areas were expecting a first long weekend of sun and relaxation when RCMP came knocking with the news they needed to grab anything they wanted and quickly evacuate to a safer locale as there was the potential that firefighters would not be able to hold the line and their cabins could be in the fire鈥檚 path.
It had to have been a scary moment for those affected.
But, it is not exactly a new experience locally.
Burgis Beach cabin owner Randy Goulden spoke of 小蓝视频 evacuated in 2010 as well, that time in the face of rising water levels, and the threat of flooding.
Yorkton residents know about the effect of flooding, many homes and businesses in the community 小蓝视频 damaged in 2010, and in 2014.
And of course in June 2018 a warehouse fire on Smith Street in Yorkton sent potentially toxic smoke into the air, and area residents were told to leave their homes quickly by RCMP.
We feel very secure in a community such as Yorkton, and in our province in general, but things can change very quickly.
Fires, floods, train derailments 鈥� from 2018 through 2019, there were four collisions between semi-trucks and CPR trains between Dafoe and Yorkton 鈥� to emergencies like the recent shooting spree in Nova Scotia, can happen.
Residents have shown a resiliency in the past in the face of such events, but a reminder to be prepared again seems timely, for we are never sure what emergencies might arise tomorrow.
