Emergency Preparedness Week is approaching and for the first time since the pandemic began, the West Shore will be kicking it off with the Regional Emergency Preparedness Fair and Display.
On May 7, the West Shore Parks and Recreation parking lot and Juan de Fuca Seniors Centre will be transformed into an indoor and outdoor exhibition featuring everything from information booths and displays to emergency vehicle tours and even some skills demonstrations – all with the goal of increasing community safety.
”The idea is to kick off Emergency Preparedness Week by hosting different emergency response agencies, organizations that deal with emergency response and preparedness,” said Capt. Troy Mollin with View Royal Fire Rescue. “The whole idea is to just increase awareness in the public that there is a need to know the risks in the area, to take steps to have a plan and make a kit, but also to highlight the cooperation and work emergency agencies do together.”
Mollin said the past few years without the event have been the first in its 16-year history. The organizations which put on the event are looking forward to the opportunity to catch up on their important messaging not reaching the public as much as it should, even if the event is expected to be a bit smaller than previous editions.
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While the primary goal of the event is increasing awareness among residents on how best to be prepared in an emergency, he said the event also serves as an important networking opportunity for the organizations and businesses which serve the community through public safety.
That networking too has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, with in-person meetings only resuming in earnest over the past year or so.
”The more people know and the more they are prepared, it alleviates some of the burden on first responders during those large-scale emergencies or disasters so we can really focus on those people who need help the most,” said Mollin. “That’s the really the end goal. To have everyone able to look after themselves because we won’t have the resources to address everyone’s needs in a major disaster.”
The free event promises something for everyone, with a healthy mix of information and fun for all ages. Kids in particular should be able to enjoy the demonstrations and vehicle tours, and will even have a chance to try out some of the equipment like fire hoses under the guidance of emergency professionals.
The event runs May 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The centre’s parking lot will host equipment tours and demos, while the seniors centre will provide indoor accommodation for information booths and displays.
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@JSamanski
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com
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