ATHABASCA — An emergency preparedness event aimed at Athabasca’s residents of distinction has received an unexpected amount of interest ahead of the date amidst growing concerns over increased risk of drought and wildfire this summer.
Athabasca County Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) will host a “Be Prepared, Stay Safe” event at the Athabasca Senior’s Centre on March 22 and FCSS Seniors Advocate Kim Lewis said slots filled up quickly.
“We are full for this workshop,” said Lewis, who said the event will see around 90 attendees, including presenters. “People called in to register very, very quickly. The response and even the waiting list that we currently have at the office, it’s telling us that it’s certainly on a lot of people’s minds.”
Lewis said FCSS received programming funds from the federal New Horizons for Seniors grant through the Town of Athabasca and wanted to use the funds for relevant programming for Athabasca residents.
“Looking at the kind of year we’ve had, the kind of winter and the fact that last year was quite significant for wildfires, we thought, “Let’s use this money to give some information and educate our seniors on what emergency preparedness looks like,’” she said.
The event will feature a presentation from Athabasca County regional fire chief Travis Shalapay focused on what an emergency evacuation order looks like, who the orders are coming from, and next steps for safe evacuation.
Alberta Health Services representatives will also provide tips and best practices for self-care following an emergency.
“In an emergent situation, we’re anxious, we’re stressed — what are the tools that we need to have in place so that we can keep ourselves calm and focused on what we need to do?” said Lewis.
Steve Splinter from Trackers Pet Supply is set to speak to attendees about pet preparedness in the face of an emergency. “A lot of us have pets, and we’re not going to leave our pets behind,” said Lewis. “What do we need for them so we’ve got the stuff that we need for our pets, because pets are like family.”
Participants will be provided with lunch, and the four-hour session will also include a lunchtime musical performance courtesy of Darlene Woodward of Gold Dust Entertainment. Lewis said attendees will also receive go-bags filled with items like small first aid kits, water bottles, flashlights, and other handy essentials.
Due to the high level of community interest, Lewis said she and FCSS are already considering subsequent events. She estimated 30 names are on the wait list for the March 22 session and has potential dates in mind for upcoming sessions.
“It’s doubtful we can accommodate everybody for sure on the wait list, so I’ll be looking at doing something for the senior’s symposiums as well that take place in June.
“It’ll be a little bit different, but we will still have something regarding emergency preparedness because they think this season is going to be a trying time,” said Lewis. “The more that we can prepare, the better off we’ll be.”
