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Emergency Preparedness Week

Vernonites urged to plan for emergencies, siren to be tested Wednesday

May 5, 2025 | 4:09 PM

The City of Vernon is urging people take action as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.

The city said emergencies can happen anywhere, anytime, and without warning.

To ensure people are prepared for emergencies such as wildfires and floods, the city urged people know the risks specific to their community or region; make an emergency plan and share it with family; and prepare an emergency kit containing essential items such as water, medication and important documents.

The city said people could also make a list of important items to take in an evacuation; familiarize themselves with insurance living expense clauses; set up the B.C. Services Card App; and sign up for Alertable and follow the City of Vernon.

To mark Emergency Preparedness Week, the City of Vernon will also test its emergency siren at Predator Ridge. The siren will go off at 1:55 p.m. Wednesday, May 7. This will coincide with the province-wide test of the Alert Ready Emergency Alert System which will send notifications across televisions, radios, and compatible cell phones.

The city added it was also strengthening its ability to respond to emergencies by training its Emergency Operations Centre staff and volunteers, and recruiting volunteers for the Emergency Support Services program.

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