Emergency Preparedness
Are you prepared?
In an emergency situation, you may be isolated for up to 72 hours. Is your home ready for an emergency? Here are some steps you can take to prepare yourself and your family in case of an emergency.
Staying Informed
One of the most important things you’ll need during an emergency is information.
- Town of Canmore's Facebook page
- Mountain FM at 106.5 (keep radio and batteries on hand)
- Click here to sign up for alerts and download the Alberta Emergency Alert app onto your phone
Know the risks
Resources for more information
Alberta Wildfire Info
Health Canada
Transport Canada
Preparing an Emergency Kit
In an emergency, you will need some basic supplies. You may need to get by without power or tap water. Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
You may have some of these items already, such as a flashlight, battery-operated radio, food, water, and blankets. The key is to make sure they are organized and easy to find. Would you be able to find your flashlight in the dark?
Make sure your kit is easy to carry. Keep it in a backpack, duffel bag or suitcase with wheels, in an easy-to-reach accessible place. Make sure everyone in the house knows where the emergency kit is. Some basic elements of an emergency kit include:
- Water – at least two litres of water per person per day
- Food – things that won’t spoil such as canned food, energy bars, and dried fruit
- Manual can opener and small fuel-driven stove (with fuel)
- Blanket
- Wind-up or battery-powered flashlight and radio (plus extra batteries)
- First aid kit and special items such as prescription medications, infant formula, and equipment for people with disabilities
- Extra keys for your car and house
- Some cash in small bills
- Copies of your insurance information and important documents
- A copy of your emergency plan and contact information
Additional Resources
Evacuations
| EVACUATION ALERT |
An Evacuation Alert tells people to prepare for an evacuation. |
| EVACUATION ORDER |
An Evacuation Order tells people to evacuate immediately. This may happen in circumstances where there is little or no time to notify, or following an evacuation alert. |
| SHELTER IN PLACE |
There are situations where it is safer for people to stay in the home or building where they are during a sudden emergency. |
We will not ask you to leave your house unless there is reason to believe you are in danger. If you are ordered to evacuate, please do so, and either go to the reception centre that will be set up, or an alternative safe place to stay. Take your emergency kit, essential medications, copies of prescriptions, personal identification of each family member, and a cellular phone with you. Take pets with you, lock your home, and use travel routes specified. Stay informed using the channels outlined above.
Following Emergency Orders
When an emergency exists, sometimes residents are asked to take action to ensure that everyone, including residents and emergency personnel, is kept safe. If orders are issued, please follow them. They are issued for the safety of everyone involved.
Shelter in Place
An accident may cause a hazardous material to enter the air. Unless the hazardous material is flammable, emergency response professionals recommend that you stay indoors until you receive instructions to leave. Once you are inside, there are several things you can do to help your building protect you:
- Go indoors and stay there.
- Close all outside doors and every door inside the building.
- Close all windows.
- Do not use kitchen vents or bathrooms vents.
- Set thermostats so air conditioners, furnaces and hot water heaters will not come on.
- Do not use fireplaces. Close all dampers.
- Do not operate the clothes dryer.
- Stay in an inside room away from windows and doors if possible.
- Reduce or avoid smoking as it contaminates the air.
- Do not leave the building until told to.
- Stay tuned to local television or radio for information.
- Do not use the telephone, leave the phone lines open for emergency personnel.
Our well weather-stripped buildings slow the movement of air into the buildings and any hazardous material that does enter is weakened when it mixes with the indoor air. It is imperative that you stay indoors, especially if you see a cloud, vapour, or smoke from the hazardous material outdoors or you can smell it indoors. You will be safer inside.
Disaster Recovery Program
Recovering from a disaster is difficult. The Government of Alberta makes it easier by providing financial assistance through the Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) to qualifying applicants to help restore uninsurable property lost or damaged by a disaster to its basic, pre-disaster functional condition.
The Government of Alberta announced changes to the program in 2021 that include:
- A new 90:10 cost-sharing arrangement with local governments and private-sector applicants, which include homeowners, residential tenants, small business owners, landlords, agriculture operations, condominium associations, and not-for-profit organizations and cooperatives
- A $500,000 funding cap per homeowner application, and
- A one-time limit on disaster financial assistance per property.
