General steps to follow
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- Activate and follow your emergency plan.
- Use your 72-hour emergency kit.
- Make sure you are safe before assisting others. Check yourself and those around you for injuries; administer first aid, if needed, and call 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.
- Monitor alerts from Alberta Emergency Alert.
- Listen to a local radio or television station for information from local authorities.
- Access your local authority's website or social media channels for information.
- Listen to instructions from authorities; you may be asked to evacuate or stay where you are.
- Limit non-emergency phone calls to keep phone networks free for those who require emergency services. This also helps to save battery power if you are using a cell phone.
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Emergency roles
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When it comes to emergency preparedness and emergency management, we all have a role to play.
| Individuals and families |
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Individuals and families should be prepared to take care of themselves for a minimum of 72 hours during an emergency and should also understand the basic principles of first aid and safety.
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| First responders |
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First responders, such as police, paramedics and firefighters, are normally the first to respond to an emergency. They, in conjunction with local municipalities, are responsible for managing most local emergencies.
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Municipalities
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Local governments are responsible for making sure their communities are prepared for emergencies. Leduc County maintains a municipal Emergency Management Plan that details steps to be taken in the event of an emergency or disaster in Leduc County.
A major emergency mutual-aid agreement is in place between all municipalities located within Leduc County boundaries to ensure adequate resources are available in an emergency. The county also works closely with Edmonton International Airport and Alberta Emergency Management Agency and is an active member of the Capital Region Emergency Planning Partnership.
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| Government of Alberta |
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In Alberta, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency is the coordinating agency for emergency management activities and initiatives. It monitors the province for porential emergencies and disasters on a 24/7 basis.
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| Government of Canada |
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Federal departments and agencies support provincial and/or territorial emergency management organizations. They also manage emergencies that involve areas of federal jurisdiction, such as nuclear safety, national defence and border security.
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| Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) |
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Non-government organizations, such as the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance and The Salvation Army, play an important role in emergency management, including disaster prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
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Communicating during an emergency
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Being able to communicate with family, friends and emergency responders during an emergency is critical.
It is important to keep in mind that everyday communication devices may not work properly during an emergency. Here are some tips to keep you connected:
- Limit non-emergency phone calls.
- If possible, use text messaging, email or social media, as these use less bandwidth than voice communications and may work even when phone service has been disrupted.
- If you must use a phone, keep your conversation brief and convey only vital information.
- If you are unable to complete a call, wait 10 seconds before redialing to help reduce network congestion.
- Keep extra batteries or a charger for your mobile device in your emergency kit.
- If you have a landline, keep at least one corded phone in your home.
- Remember, in an emergency or to save a life, call 9-1-1 for help.
Learn more about communicating during emergencies.
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Sheltering in place
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If hazardous materials are released into the air, authorities may direct you to shelter-in-place. This means you should stay where you are and follow their instructions.
The below lists provide tips for how to shelter-in-place based on where you are:
| At home |
- Close and lock windows and exterior doors. Close window shades, blinds, or curtains.
- Turn off fans, heating and air conditioning. Close the fireplace damper.
- Get your emergency kit and make sure the radio is working.
- If you don’t have a hardwired phone, gather a cell phone and charger.
- Call your emergency contact.
- Go to an interior room above ground level, without windows if possible. Above-ground locations are safer as some chemicals are heavier than air and seep into basements even if windows are closed.
- Keep your pets with you along with food and water.
- Use duct tape and plastic sheeting, or wet towels, to seal cracks around doors and vents.
- Listen to radio or TV and check the Alberta Emergency Alert app until you’re told the danger has passed or you’re told to evacuate.
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| In your vehicle |
- If you are close to your home, office or a public building, get inside immediately and follow the recommendations detailed in the "at home" section above.
- If you can’t get to a building, pull over and stop in the safest place possible. If it’s sunny, stop in the shade to avoid overheating.
- Turn the engine off. Close windows and vents. If possible, seal them with duct tape.
- Listen to radio for updates and instructions.
- Stay where you are until it’s safe to go.
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| At work |
- Lock all doors, windows and openings. Close window shades, blinds or curtains.
- Keep customers/visitors inside with you.
- Ask everyone to call their emergency contacts to tell them their location and .
- Turn on call-forwarding and answering systems. Change voicemail recordings to say the business is closed and everyone is staying inside until it’s safe outside.
- Ensure employees know how to turn off fans, heating and air conditioning systems. Turn off systems that automatically exchange inside air with outside.
- Gather non-perishable food, bottled water, battery-powered radios, first-aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting and garbage bags.
- Go to interior room(s) above ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents. Large rooms without exterior windows work well. Avoid rooms with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or pipes that may be difficult to seal off.
- If you don’t have a hard wired phone, bring a cell phone and charger.
- Use duct tape and plastic sheeting, or wet towels, to seal cracks around the door(s) and vents into the room.
- Write down everyone’s name and call your business’s designated emergency contact.
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| Sheltering in place with farm animals |
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Remain on your property with your animals until the emergency passes or gets resolved. Decide whether to confine the animals in an available shelter or leave them outdoors.
In case of flooding, ensure that your animals can be moved to high ground and have access to feed and clean water.
An outdoor sheltering location should:
- Avoid places that have overhead power lines or poles.
- Have no debris or sources of blowing debris.
- Have access to at least three days of food and clean water for your animals.
- Have adequate and safe fences that will maintain control of the animals.
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Learn more about sheltering in place.
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Evacuation
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| Evacuation alerts |
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Evacuation alerts warn the public of a potential or current threat. If an evacuation alert is issued, do the following:
- Plan to evacuate with enough items to keep your family comfortable for a minimum of 72 hours.
- Keep the radio on all day and tuned to a local station. Have a battery-powered radio ready in case of power failure.
- Download the Alberta Emergency Alert app to stay up-to-date.
- Keep in touch with absent household members and ensure that a plan is in place if evacuation orders are given.
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| Evacuation orders |
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Evacuation orders are mandatory and issued for public safety. If an evacuation order is issued, do the following:
- Vacate your home when authorities advise you to do so. Ignoring these instructions could jeopardize the safety of your family and/or those rescuing you.
- Bring your pet(s) with you. Pet owners should determine where they will bring their pets ahead of time, as not all emergency reception centres accept pets. Owners can contact their veterinarian for a list of preferred boarding kennels, ask a local animal shelter if they provide emergency shelter, identify hotels outside of the immediate area that accept pets or ask friends or family outside the immediate area if they would be willing to take in a pet.
- Take your emergency kit with you.
- Follow the routes specified by officials. Do not take shortcuts as they could lead to a blocked or dangerous area.
- Drive carefully with headlights on. Make way for pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
- Stop at the pre-determined marshaling point(s). Report to authorities and wait for further instructions. Do not leave again without informing officials.
- Do not return to your property until permitted to do so by authorities.
- If time permits, leave a note informing others when you left and where you went. If you have a mailbox, leave the note in there.
- Shut off water and electricity if you are asked to by an officials.
- Leave natural gas service on, unless officials tell you otherwise. If you turn off the gas, the gas company has to reconnect it. In a major emergency, it could take weeks for a professional to respond. You would be without gas for heating and cooking.
- If the evacuation occurs in the winter, take extra precautions.
- Turn off the water and then drain the water from your plumbing system.
- Starting at the top of the house, open all taps, and flush toilets several times.
- Go to the basement and open the drain valve.
- Drain your hot water tank by attaching a hose to the tank drain valve and running it to the basement floor (if you have a gas-fired tank, the pilot light should be turned out - call the local gas supplier to re-light it).
- Protect the valve, inlet pipe, and meter or pump with blankets or insulation material.
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| Evacuating with farms animals |
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Plan ahead and work with your community to determine what safe shelters are available for farm animals. Keep in mind your animals may be evacuated to a centralized location and will comingle with other animals. Always ensure the following:
- You have sufficient feed and medical supplies available or can be delivered.
- Your animals have sufficient identification.
- Minimize contact among animals from different premises.
- Feed and water is protected from contact with wild animals and birds.
- Health and vaccination status of animals has been verified.
- You can handle death in a manner that minimizes the possible spread of contagious diseases.
- You have arranged for special provisions (milking, for example).
Protect yourself and your family first. There may be circumstances where the risk to life is great, but there is not enough time to evacuate your animals. After ensuring the safety of yourself and your family, if it is safe to do so and time permits, do the following:
- Open gates between pens and pastures to give the animals more room to escape the hazard.
- Put extra feed and water out where the animals can get to it, as it may be a few days before you are allowed to return home.
- Consider turning off power and natural gas to reduce the chance of these utilities causing additional problems while you are gone.
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