Emergency Preparedness by citizens and municipalities helps to minimize the impact that an emergency could have on our community. The role of Lanark County during an emergency is to help and support our local municipalities.
Your Role in an Emergency
If an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. It is your responsibility to be prepared and take care of yourself, your family and your pets for at least 72 hours.
Although local, provincial and federal officials are prepared for emergencies, individuals and families play a vital role in preparing for times of crisis when emergency services and other government resources may be strained.
You should have an emergency survival kit that has everything that you and your family will need to stay safe and take care of yourselves for at least three days following an emergency. You may need to get by without power or tap water. Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
Heavy snowfall and ice can make the roads treacherous and interrupt the power supply.
You can check local weather and forecasts online.
Interactive maps, road conditions and driving information is available through Traveller Information Services.
Check with your local school board for information on cancelled classes and buses.
Check with your local municipality for information on snow removal services and special rules in place during a snow emergency.
Safety tips
- Avoid unnecessary travel.
- Wear layers of lightweight clothing, mittens and a hat (preferably one that covers your ears).
- Wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet warm and dry and to keep from slipping on ice and snow.
- Regularly check for frostbite — numbness or white areas on your face and body (ears, nose, cheeks, hands and feet in particular).
- Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow by taking frequent breaks.
- Bring pets inside and move livestock to sheltered areas with non-frozen drinking water.
If power outage results:
Know the Risks
Emergencies happen at any time and may include tornadoes, floods, winter storms or a pandemic. Being prepared and knowing what to do in advance could save your life, and those of your loved ones. Emergencies can occur suddenly and without any advance warning.
Possible Hazards in our County
The three types of weather alerts from Environment Canada are:
Warnings
- act now to protect yourself from severe weather
- urgent messages that severe weather is either happening or will happen
- usually issued 6 to 24 hours in advance, but can be longer
- some severe weather (for example, tornadoes) can occur rapidly, with less than 30 minutes’ notice
Advisories
- act now to protect yourself from significant weather
- issued for specific weather events that are less severe but still significant
- issued for blowing snow, fog, freezing drizzle, and frost
Watches
- get ready to protect yourself from potential severe weather
- issued when conditions are favorable for the development of severe weather
- may be upgraded to a Warning when certainty increases
These alerts are updated regularly so that members of the public can stay on top of a developing situation and take the appropriate action.
Learn more from Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Find all the information that you need on preparing for storms and the work that Hydro One does to restore power safely.
To report a forest fire call 9-1-1.
- For air quality in Lanark County, visit Public Weather Alerts for Canada
- For Highway conditions, including road closures, visit 511on.ca
- For smoke drift conditions across North America, visit Smoke Drift Across North America
- For information about forest fire smoke and your health, consult Wildfire Smoke and Your Health.
Make a Plan
Every Canadian household needs an emergency plan. It will help you and your family know what to do in case of an emergency. Knowing what to do will reduce anxiety and keep you focused and safe. It will take you about 20 minutes to make your plan.
When putting your plan together you should consider the following:
- How will you receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is your shelter plan?
- What is your evacuation route?
- What is your household communication plan?
- Do you need to update your emergency preparedness kit?
As you prepare your plan, tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily needs and responsibilities. Keep in mind factors such as different ages of household members, medical needs including prescriptions and equipment, disabilities or access needs, pets or service animals and whether there are school-aged children in your household.
Build a Kit
Following a disaster, you may need to:
- Stay at home with an emergency kit, or
- Leave immediately with a grab-and-go bag
Building an emergency kit or grab-and-go bag doesn’t need to take a lot of time or money. You may be surprised at how much you already have at home. Follow the basic supply lists below.
Include:
- Food (non-perishable and easy-to-prepare items, enough for three days) and a manual can opener
- Bottled or bagged water (4 litres per person for each day) and backup water purification tablets
- Medication(s)
- Toilet paper and other personal items such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.
- Personal protective equipment such as medical masks and respirators
- Back up chargers and power banks for cell phone or mobile device
- Cash in small bills
- Portable light source such as a flashlight, headlamp or glow stick
- Radio (crank or battery-run)
- Extra batteries
- First-aid kit
- Candles and matches/lighter
- Hand sanitizer or moist towelettes
- Important papers such as a copy of your emergency plan, identification, contact lists, copies of prescriptions, etc.
- Extra car and house keys
- Whistle (to attract attention, if needed)
- Zip-lock bag (to keep things dry)
- Garbage bags and duct tape
Include:
- Food (ready to eat) and water
- Phone charger and battery bank
- Small battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Batter-powered or hand-crank flashlight
- Extra batteries
- Small first-aid kit and personal medications
- Personal toiletries and items, such as an extra pair of sunglasses or contact lenses
- Copy your emergency plan
- Copies of important documents, such as insurance papers and identification
- Cash in small bills
- Local map with your family meeting place identified
- Seasonal clothing and an emergency blanket
- Pen and notepad
- Whistle
You can learn what to include in an emergency kit for your vehicle and an emergency kit for your pet.
Stay Informed
During an emergency, you should stay tuned to local news channels. Be sure to have a portable battery-operated or crank radio in your survival kit in case of power outages. Look for official information from the County’s Facebook account.
88.1 myFM has been established as the radio station for emergency information throughout Lanark County. In the event of an emergency, tune into 88.1 FM for official updates and emergency announcements. Vehicle radios are generally clearer than radios in a building if you are a distance away from the radio station transmitter.
Staying connected both before and during an emergency is vital to staying safe. Click the links below to access resources that will contain weather information and alerts, emergency contacts, and social media sites that could be useful when an emergency hits.
Lanark County Road Closures (Municipal 511)
- 211 Ontario (find programs and services in your community)
- 511 Ontario (Highway and traveler information service)
- Emergency Management Ontario
- Office of the Fire Marshal
- South East Health Unit
Emergency Management Program
The Emergency Management Program works to prepare our community for emergencies and disasters. The Lanark County Emergency Management Program includes risk analysis and a hazard-specific approach, training programs, emergency exercises, and public awareness and education. The program is reviewed on a regular basis.
Learn more about Lanark County’s response during an emergency in the Lanark County Emergency Response Plan.
Other Resources
Here’s what you can do:
- Talk with your children about emergencies that are common to your community and how to prepare for them.
- Have children help you put together your family emergency plan and household’s emergency survival kit.
- Practice family evacuation drills regularly and talk about why you are doing it. Children will not be as frightened because there will be some familiarity.
- Learn more about what you need to include in your emergency survival kit for infants and toddlers.
Learn more about what you can do to protect your children during an emergency.
To best prepare for an emergency according to one’s individual needs, please refer to the appropriate category in the guide for a list of suggested emergency survival kit items and contingency planning considerations.
- The potential for emergencies
- The steps to take to be prepared
- The programs and services available to help get them through the emergency
- Returning to their regular routine
In addition to the basic emergency survival kit, it is essential that seniors being evacuated during emergencies take all equipment or devices they may need immediately with them.
Dos and don’ts when assisting seniors
- Check neighbors to find out if they need help your help during an emergency or evaucation.
- Allow the person to describe what help they need and how it can be provided to them. Be patient, listen actively. If the person appears anxious or agitated, speak calmly and provide assurance that you are there to help.
- If evacuation is necessary, offer a ride to those who do not have access to a vehicle. If time permits, offer to carry the person’s emergency survival kit to your car, along with any equipment of assistive devices they will need. Follow instructions posted on their equipment and/or assistive devices during an emergency.
- Refrain from shouting or speaking unnaturally slow.
- Avoid being dismissive of the person’s concerns or requests.
Learn more about emergency survival kits for seniors, support networks for seniors and information for seniors in high-rise buildings at Ontario.ca
Prepare a pet emergency survival kit and keep it with your family kit. Be sure to check the expiry date of your contents twice a year.
If safety permits, pets should not be left behind during an evacuation as they may be lost, injured or even killed as a result of the emergency. Plan ahead to ensure that you have a safe place to take your pet.
For more information on what to include in your pet emergency kit and what to do during an evacuation visit Ontario.ca
For more information about pets and emergencies, contact the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA).
