The Manitoba government is recognizing Emergency Preparedness Week from May 7 to 13 to educate Manitobans on steps to take to be prepared and protect their families, neighbours and communities in the event of an emergency, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk, minister responsible for emergency management, announced in amedia release today.
“The theme of this year’s Emergency Preparedness Week of ‘Be Prepared. Know Your Risks’ encourages Manitobans to stay informed and collectively do what we can to lessen the impact of emergencies,” said Piwniuk. “The Manitoba government’s Emergency Management Organization leads the province every day towards its goal for a safe Manitoba that is resilient to all hazards, emergencies and disasters, and this week is a great opportunity to celebrate that work and focus on steps each of us can take to be prepared for an emergency.”
Emergency Preparedness Week is an event supported by Public Safety Canada, working closely with provincial and territorial emergency management organizations, Indigenous organizations, non-governmental and private sector organizations that support activities at the local level.
The awareness week encourages three simple steps to become better prepared to face a range of emergencies:
– know the risks;
– make a plan; and
– build an emergency kit.
An emergency test message will also be issued during Emergency Preparedness Week on May 10 at 1:55 p.m. For more information on the test alert, visit www.alertready.ca
To learn more about emergency preparedness in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/emo
The province, meantime, says there’s been no major flooding in Manitoba – and none is expected this spring. The Hydrologic Foreast Centre says most rivers in the province have stayed within their banks – including the Red River south of Winnipeg, which crested last week.
A number of areas have seen minor to moderate overland flooding, and the centre says any rain in the next few days shouldn’t have a major impact on river levels.
