Martensville Messenger September 8, 2016 | Page 12

Page 12 - SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 - MaRTEnSvillE MESSEngER Are You Prepared For An Emergency? Marcy Cross, Martensville Messenger Saskatchewan summers are prone to be quite unpredictable with rain pouring, tornadoes touching down and even earthquakes taking place. Forest fires and house fires are also a reality. No one is ever completely prepared for an emergency; however, there are things that you can do to make surviving a disaster easier. Trina Miller has had more than her share of disasters. “It was the long weekend of July 2001, we were living at a farm between Battleford and Wilkie. My husband and I went on a date and an electrical fire had started in a bedroom. We had talked to our children about what to do in case of a fire, and the one thing I learned through that experience was that what you think is common sense, doesn’t automatically become second nature,” commented Miller. Miller recounts her actions during and after the fire in her home: “It took the fire department in Battleford 12 minutes from the time they got the call to the time they were in my yard. The vehicle wasn't even stopped when we arrived to the house and I was out and running, trying to find my kids. They probably had to tell me six or seven times what had happened, and that the kids were okay. I could see their mouths moving but I couldn't make any sense o ut of what they were saying I was in complete and total shock. My advice is to take whatever business cards they give you because in the end you’ll know next to nothing of what they tell you. My next thought was my photo album and documents like my original birth certificate - documents that are hard to replace. Those are the things that I should have bought a fire and flood safe for. My photo album had some smoke and water damage but I still have it. All the baby blankets I made for my kids were burned up, you mourn over those things then you move on. I still have all my kids - material things can be replaced. I realized that while dealing with insurance afterwards, they're just people doing their jobs; try not to take things personally. A person who's putting in this kind of claim needs to work it like a full-time job. You're the one advocating for yourself and for your stuff.” The Miller family spent two weeks at the Holiday Inn with the few belongings they had left. The Millers now live in Rosthern, and since moving have had two floods in their home, just over two years apart. The first flood happened when the water table went up and a nearby lift station failed. The second was a sewer back up. If Trina Miller was to give anyone advice it would be this: “You take the really important things that you can't replace and you put them in a fire safe because bad things happen to good people. House fires don’t care if you go to church on Sunday. They don’t care if you pay your taxes on time and fire doesn't care if you have children or not. Use Rubbermaid containers to keep important items, know how to use backflow valves, shut the water off to the house every time you leave for a couple days, and take pictures of the inside of your house,” stated Miller. Business & Professional Directory Computers Ralph Goodale, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, offered some helpful information regarding disasters: “There is lots of good information on the government of Canada website to make sure that Canadians are ready to deal with emergency circumstances when they arise. We hope that of course that will not happen but we all know that disasters do occur and that we have to be ready for them. One of the lessons that was learned out of the Fort McMurray situation is that sometimes notices to evacuate come with very little time. So it's always good advice to have people think of their own personal circumstances to know what direction they need to go and by what means of transportation if they had to leave their home suddenly. If they do have to leave home suddenly, what are the basics they can collect quickly to make sure they can get on the road. On a fine summer day you probably wouldn't think this would be an immediate issue but that's what they thought in Fort McMurray on the first day of May and then all of a sudden within 24 hours there was an inferno surrounding them. So people should take some time when everything is calm and quiet and safe to think this through about how they would respond if an RCMP officer came to their door one day and said a disaster is unfolding, you will need to leave your home in two hours or in the case of Fort McMurray it was just a matter of a few minutes” stated Goodale. One of the best ways to prepare for an emergency is to have a ‘Grab and Go’ emergency bag prepared. The Canadian Red Cross has some helpful guidelines for what you should include in your bag, which are listed below. The “grab and go” bag should be put together seasonally and according to each individual’s needs, never allow the amount of medication you have on hand to fall below a 10-day supply, and finally, each family member’s “grab and go” bag must weigh 40 lbs or less (medical assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, are not part of this weight restriction). If you are interested in learning more about preparing your family for an emergency, visit: www. getprepared.gc.ca or www.redcross.org/get-help. For information on how Martensville is prepared for emergencies, contact Martensville’s Emergency Measures Coordinator Tracy Wilson-Gerwing at [phone]. Canadian Red Cross ‘Grab and Go’ Bag • A copy of your family emergency plan • Water (1 litre per person) *Individuals with special medical needs or with young children may need to add additional water based on their personal needs (e.g. extra water for preparing baby formula or to take with medications, etc.) • Food for 12-hour period (non-perishable ready-to-eat foods, high energy bars, meal replacement drinks, etc.) • Crank or battery-operated flashlight, with extra batteries • Photocopies of important documents (medical and vaccination records, health card, status card, birth certificate, prescriptions, insurance policies, bank account information, phone numbers of family members) • Seasonal change of clothes (2-3 sets for each person in the family) • House keys • Cash (coins & bills) • Basic first aid kit (one per family) • Medication • Personal items (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, etc.) • Paper and pen for writing • Items for babies – baby formula, baby food/cereal, bib, bottles, pacifiers, diapers, baby wipes, extra clothing, receiving blanket, toys, etc. • Items for young children – extra clothing, a favourite non-perishable snack item, plastic cup, crayons, activity book, stuffed animal, photo of family, etc. CALL 306-668-1093 or email [email protected] Monuments Martensville Computers Inc. Hours Monday to Friday 12-6pm Virus Removal - System Clean-up $74 Ken Marchand 604 2nd St. N 306-249-2220 Meats & Deli 421 Centennial Drive North Martensville 306-955-9791 [email protected] classifieds Found Ring 1979 Graduation Ring from Medstead High School found in Martensville last year. Call Larry with details on where the ring was lost at [phone] MANUFACTURED HOMES Phone: [phone] Graveside Memorial Co. Ltd. Locally owned by the Ottenbreit family since 1963 Plumbing Locally Owned and Operated Canadian Bui lt Modular Homes Vanscoy, SK 306-242-9099 Homes to Suit Every Budget 16’, 20’, 22’ and 24’ Free Delivery. In stock models for immediate delivery or order now for Fall delivery. In-Stock Homes Starting At $86,900 Delivered! www.vestamfghomes.com Serving all of Saskatchewan 10 Year Warranty Employment Opportunities OPEN HOUSE CALIFORNIA LONG HAUL DRIVERS Full-time Bakerstreet Produce Company is seeking 2 long haul drivers to haul regular produce lines from throughout Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta to California/Arizona. Competitive starting wage, with raises and bonuses based on performance. Passport, Class 1A and clean abstract necessary. Contact: [email protected] or call 306-384-9992 OPEN HOUSE SEPTEMBER 22ND Vendor Tables Door Prizes Samples Stay Tuned More details to come TOWN HOUSE FOR RENT Nicely Developed 1300sq foot 2 floor 3 bedroom corner unit Townhouse. Available October 1st, please contact for more details 306-221-1182. Garage Sale Monster Garage Sale Martensville & Warman September 16 & 17 Numerous Households Registered. Address list available at MAP, City Hall, and CO-OP Gas Station.