Emergency Preparedness

National Safety Services Inc.

The Fort McMurray Wildfire – A Witness Account

On May 1^st, 2016, I was sitting in my office at work when I glanced out the window by chance. There had been wildfires near the city, so I was used to seeing the air dark with the haze of smoke, but what I saw sent a chill through me. A massive billow of smoke, almost like a volcanic ash cloud, was looming in the distance, but it was much closer than I expected to see it. The wind had changed that morning, and the out-of-control wildfire was rapidly approaching the city.

The communities that were most at risk had been evacuated as a precaution just a couple of days before. They had been allowed to return to their homes once the municipal authorities believed the fire was not going to encroach on the communities. The monetary cost of that precautionary evacuation, as well as the inconvenience of it being a “false alarm” was reported later to have contributed to a reluctance to call for an evacuation on May 1st until much later than it perhaps should have been called.

I remember some of my coworkers getting phone calls from the schools that their children attended, being told by teachers or administrators that they had 30 minutes to pick up their children, or they would be evacuated on school buses. Some of my coworkers abandoned their work to jump into their cars, without even reporting to their managers or leaders about where they were going. I called my father, whose home was in Beacon Hill, one of the communities that was hit hardest by the wildfire, and I asked if he had been told to evacuate. He told me he hadn’t heard anything, and there had been no police or fire department staff driving down his street on a loudspeaker telling them to leave. At the time of that phone call, there were already houses on fire in Beacon Hill, just a 5-minute drive from my father’s house. At work, we called a quick staff meeting where people were anxious and eager to leave. We had everyone sign an attendance sheet and write down a contact number. We quickly sent employees to return to their homes to try to save their most precious belongings, pets, and whatever they could pack into their vehicles in the time remaining.

When I entered my own vehicle, I noticed that my truck was low on fuel, and on my way to my apartment, I got stuck in a traffic jam. Vehicles were lined up around every fuel station between my workplace and my house, blocking the street. Other vehicles were driving on the median and in the grass to go around people waiting to get fuel. It was chaos. In that moment, I took a risk to use what time I had left to pack my belongings and hope (by some miracle) that fuel would be available.

By the time I arrived home, I only had time to grab a backpack and quickly stuff it with some clothes and my medications. I had my ID, wallet, a few water bottles, and snacks. I took 3 minutes to quickly take pictures of my apartment and remaining possessions for insurance purposes in the event my apartment succumbed to the fire.

Back on the road, the fire had now closed down Highway 63, and they were diverting the evacuation north to the Oilsands sites, where the private airstrips of Syncrude and Shell would eventually fly thousands of people out who weren’t able to make it out on the highway in those first few hours. I saw a man riding a bike as I left my apartment, pulled over, and offered him a ride. We tossed the bike into the back of my truck, and I drove him to Syncrude, where he was an employee. I was able to fill my truck at the Shell Albian site, as they were giving away free fuel to help people.

The Fort McMurray fire was one of the worst events in Alberta’s history and the worst disaster to befall the city. Over 2400 structures were lost, including homes, businesses, and buildings. In total, 90,000 civilians had to be evacuated for over 8 weeks, and the rebuilding efforts would go on to last years. Many people lost their beloved pets, as well as irreplaceable belongings like family pictures, heirlooms, and cherished memorabilia. Incredibly, there was only one civilian death, attributed to a highway collision south of the city.

Looking back, I learned so many valuable lessons about the necessity of being prepared for an emergency, and while I hope no one ever has to live through a situation like this, they’re becoming more prevalent.

When your employer, coworkers, communities, and families are prepared for emergency situations, lives are saved. Responses are quicker, safer, and more successful.

Emergency Preparedness: What it Takes to be Ready

Emergency preparedness is the process of planning, organizing, and getting ready to respond effectively to unexpected events that could cause harm such as a natural disaster, storm, fire, or power outage.

Here are 5 critical steps for organizations to follow.

1 - Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

Assessments must take place to understand what types of emergencies are most likely and their potential impacts.

2 - Emergency Plan Development

Written plans need to be developed that outline response strategies and actions taken in the event of an emergency occurring.

3 - Training & Education

Affected staff, emergency responders, and members of the public that could be impacted by the emergency must be properly trained and educated about what their role is, and what actions they are expected to take.

4 - Resource Management

Adequate supplies, resources, equipment, and personnel need to be stocked, prepared, and available in the event of an emergency occurring.

5 - Drills and Exercises

Regular emergency exercises and drills verify that planning is sufficient and identify improvement opportunities.

Individual Tips for Emergency Preparedness

Are you prepared for an emergency? Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Prepare a “Go Bag” – In case of an evacuation, have a pre-packed suitcase or backpack containing your essentials. This includes changes of clothes, over-the-counter medications, bandages, a flashlight and batteries, water, snacks, and an electronic record of material possessions being left behind.

Back up Records – Depending on the nature of the emergency, physical records can be lost. Having an electronic backup in the form of an external hard-drive or saving to the cloud can ensure important information is not lost.

Have a Full Tank – Make it a habit to not go below a half tank of fuel. This will reduce the urgency (and panic!) for you to fuel up if a sudden evacuation is called.

Drills and Exercises – Just like a company, you and your loved ones need to know what to do (and not do) in the case of an emergency. Communicate your plan and practice, practice, practice!

Prepared Today, Safe Tomorrow: Why It Matters

By being prepared, we can reduce the severity and exposure to loss for an individual, an organization, and a community by,

Saving Lives/Reducing Injuries – Ensures that people know what to do in case of an unplanned event or emergency, which reduces panic and helps them act quickly and safely.

Minimizing Property Damage – Preparedness plans often include measures to protect vital equipment, data, and infrastructure. Physical damage can also be reduced by response actions such as shutting off the gas or sealing the fire doors.

Increasing Response Efficiency – With a plan in place, emergency services and affected staff can respond in a coordinated and efficient way by reducing confusion and doubt during a high-pressure situation.

Reducing Business Disruption – Continuity planning as part of emergency preparedness will ensure the most essential operations can resume more quickly after an emergency occurs.

Improving Coordination – Clear communication of responsibilities helps to avoid misinformation. During an emergency, having the trust and confidence of the people around you is key to ensuring unified response actions.