Better to have it and not need it, than to need it but not have it.
Sundre and surrounding area residents are encouraged to ensure they are prepared for any potential emergency. After all, flooding, wildfires and severe weather storms all pose an existential threat to the municipality.
That means having ready to grab and go at any given moment's notice a kit with supplies such as food and water, medicine and personal papers.
"People need to know that we're going to give them as much notice as possible in the event of an evacuation," said Kevin Heerema, Sundre's director of emergency management.
"But evacuations can be immediate if the situation calls for it, so they should be aware of that."
To that end, Heerema urges residents to prepare not only an emergency 72-hour kit that includes sufficient supplies for every member of the family, including any pets, but a "to-go" kit as well.
Following the devastating 2013 floods, the province began to ramp up its efforts to make available more resources to train municipalities as well as to help Albertans prepare themselves for worst-case scenarios, said Jim Hall, deputy director of emergency management.
"The government is really trying to prepare Joe resident and Joe business and municipalities and counties to be more ready," he said.
Although Alberta is, in his opinion, far ahead of the rest of the country in terms of emergency planning and preparedness, Hall said society at the same time cannot continue to just wait for the government to come and carry people out of their homes during emergencies, and that residents should always be prepared to act.
In the case of an emergency, "we really require people to be either sheltered in place or evacuate with a kit and go, and make sure they keep themselves safe so we can do our job," said Hall.
"If for whatever reason we've got to move a group of seniors because they're ill at the hospital and Alberta Health's doing that and we're coordinating, we need the people who are able bodied to pick up, grab their kids, go to their muster, wherever they plan to go, so they're not part of the problem ó they're more a part of the solution."
At least as important is for people to make sure they do not spread erroneous or inaccurate information on social media in such situations, said Heerema.
"If you want to post something, just share or forward the information that's being put out by the town," he said.
"I really need people to be aware and to understand that notices to evacuate will only come from the Town of Sundre. That's what people should be paying attention to."
Someone with good intentions might nevertheless put out the wrong message that could have negative ramifications for others, he said.
"We are talking about people's lives, loved ones and property. So if they read the wrong message and evacuate in the wrong direction, they can be putting themselves in danger."
With a little foresight and preparation, the worst effects of an unpredictable disaster can be mitigated, and the path to recovery can begin sooner rather than later.
ó Simon Ducatel, Round Up editor
