Sundre is among numerous Alberta municipalities to recently receive flood mitigation and emergency preparedness funding from the provincial government.
“We were made aware of it at the end of May,” said Kevin Heerema, Sundre’s community peace officer and director of emergency management.
The nearly $14,000 in funding will help to purchase dam bags that allow a temporary dike to quickly be set up, a trash pump that can clear debris-clogged water away from critical infrastructure, communications devices, a portable power generator, as well as compiling emergency preparedness information for the public in the form of a flipbook that offers guidelines to follow when disaster strikes, Heerema said.
“Being that we’re at risk almost yearly of some type of flooding, any kind of tools or equipment or preparation we can do ahead of time is definitely going to help us out,” he said during an interview, adding the government’s infusion of funds was welcome.
“It’s good to have help from the province — some of these things aren’t always cheap.”
Sundre’s emergency management — formerly known as disaster services — is a part of the Mountain View Regional Emergency Management Agency, which is a collaborative regional partnership that includes all of the other municipalities within Mountain View County, he said.
Regional emergency plans and procedures have been under review for updates. That process remains ongoing and was started prior to, as well as separate from, the recently announced government funding, he said.
Depending on the nature of a disaster — from flooding to wildfire — members of the public should be aware of the different courses of action to take during each scenario, he said, adding the emergency flipbook will serve as a handy reference guide.
Sundre’s director of emergency management also highly recommends people sign up for and download the app for the Alberta Emergency Alert, which can be configured to only sound an alarm for Sundre-area emergencies, he said.
But once the provincial government irons out the last wrinkles with the new emergency notification system, alerts will be sent to everyone’s phones regardless, he added.
People should also seriously consider having a 72-hour kit ready, and in the event of disaster, monitor official channels closely and refrain from sharing on social media potentially erroneous information that comes from an unofficial source.
The Alberta Emergency Management Agency’s website, www.aema.gov.ab.ca/be-prepared, features information people need to get ready, he said.
“All of those things are coming out as a result of 2013,” said Mayor Terry Leslie last week during a phone interview over lunch while attending an Alberta Urban Municipalities Association mayors' caucus in Camrose.
Following such a disastrous flood, officials from all levels of government discuss what emergency procedures worked, and where there is room for improvement, he said.
“The province has done a good job identifying things that are needed,” the mayor said.
“It’s deeply appreciated that the province recognizes that the better prepared we are, the safer we can keep people in the community.”
While the municipality wants to ensure every effort is made to do a better job of informing the public about emergency plans, residents also must be ready to take some personal responsibility in anticipation of preparing for a worst-case scenario, he said.
Following major floods such as the 2013 and 2005 disasters, people can’t just walk away from these kinds of circumstances hoping they do not happen again, he said, adding significant steps must be taken to review what worked well and what could be done better next time.
“Continuous improvement is the motto.”
Earlier this year, the government committed $10 million to help communities along river basins be better prepared for flood season. According to a provincial press release, the City of Calgary received $1 million, while Clearwater County was awarded $156,000 and Mountain View County got $50,000.
“It’s crucial that we support our communities across the province so they are ready to deal with emergencies and keep people and property safe,” said Shaye Anderson, minister of Municipal Affairs.
“We’ve added equipment to our provincial flood stockpile and quickly identified communities that need a boost in their ability to prepare for flood emergencies. This funding will help get critical projects and equipment up and running so that these communities are more prepared.”
