Preparedness (Page 21)

If a disaster were to strike in your community which left you and your family without electricity, would you have enough non-perishable food items to keep nourished until help arrived, potentially 72 hours later? Sault Ste.Marie's Disaster Dining Challenge shows you how!

Are you prepared in times of emergency? Canadian families should have supplies and resources to take care of themselves in disasters until help arrives.
Take this short quiz to determine how prepared you are in case disaster strikes.

Red Crosser Nicole Robicheau discusses the importance of being prepared when deployed to respond to an emergency here at home or abroad. Here is a Q&A with the international traveler:

This warm summer weather brings all of us outdoors, which unfortunately includes mosquitoes, wasps and black flies. While most insect bites are harmless, for children and adults who have severe allergies, insects are more worrisome. So, with the arrival of summer, remember some basic prevention and what to do in case of allergic reactions.

As rain continues to fall on the already saturated ground throughout Southern Alberta this week, Red Cross staff and volunteers are providing relief to the many individuals and families impacted by rising rivers and wide-spread flooding. Red Crossers are in communities, mobilizing supplies such as cots, hygiene kits and blankets, assisting with a reception centre and shelter, and registering evacuees to ensure they receive the help they need. The effects of flooding can be devastating, but there are ways for individuals to help keep themselves safe.

Toothpaste for a burn? How about butter?

These ill-advised myths, along with many others, were debunked during an Emergency First Aid and CPR course I took yesterday in Toronto.

Recently, Canadian Red Cross in Manitoba went on a road trip to train groups of volunteers as members of new Personal Disaster Assistance (PDA) teams in Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson. The PDA teams, made up entirely of local volunteers, will provide support and basic necessities including clothes and shelter to families that have been displaced by house fires and other small disasters. Here’s a travel journal of the 2,069 kilometre road trip. We hope you enjoy it.