Decide in advance, as a family, where to meet and where to shelter in case you are separated and/or are unable to remain in your home in a disaster

ARMON ARANI

As our region’s emergency communications system provider, CREST links 50 emergency response and public safety agencies. Their system is among the best in the world. While no one likes to contemplate a natural disaster, residents everywhere need to mitigate surprises by being prepared. In the case of a natural disaster, it’s important for all citizens to have an emergency plan. There is some very exciting grassroots planning taking place in neighbourhoods across the Capital Region. Here is a profile of Connect & Prepare, with hopes it will inspire you to reach out to your neighbours and develop a safety plan together.

DID YOU KNOW? ■ Only 54% of British Columbians say their households have any emergency plans. ■ Only 13% feel their emergency plans are reasonably complete. ■ Only 20% have any contacts and plans with neighbours to help each other.*

*Source: BC Government Personal Preparedness Survey Report, 2018.

Connect & Prepare – a ground-breaking approach to building preparedness by strengthening social connections between neighbours. Connect & Prepare was developed and piloted by Building Resilient Neighbourhoods and Victoria Ready in 2018 at three Victoria, BC locations: A condominium highrise, a multiunit rental building for seniors with disabilities, and a street of singlefamily dwellings. Through facilitated presentations, interactive games, and friendly discussions, neighbours got to know each other over the course of several workshops, learned about acute emergencies and chronic stresses, identified assets and priorities, and implemented shared preparedness projects. Each group also received free emergency supplies and a storage kit to be shared. The outcomes were overwhelmingly positive. Here is what participants reported: ■ 94% of neighbours got to know each other better ■ 100% of neighbours became more connected with each other ■ 100% of neighbours achieved better understanding of their collective strengths, assets and vulnerabilities in relation to acute emergencies and chronic stresses ■ 100% of neighbours took action to be better prepared for emergencies ■ Neighbours at all three sites continued collaborating on projects afterwards Mutual assistance and preparedness planning are both vital to survival, safety and overall resilience. Connect & Prepare is an innovative, locally-developed approach to meeting both those needs together. For more information and to sign up for notifications about future free offerings of Connect & Prepare in your neighbourhood, visit www.resilientneighbourhoods.ca

Check out the following Prepared BC Guides: www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safetyand-emergency-services/emergencypreparedness-response-recovery/embc/ preparedbc/in_it_together_neighbourhood_ preparedness_guide_web_final_2015.pdf www.2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/publicsafety-and-emergency-services/emergencypreparedness-response-recovery/embc/ preparedbc/preparedbc_apartment_and_ condo_guide_web.pdf