SLRD marks Emergency Preparedness Week with preparedness reminder

As risks increase, small steps can help keep locals safe during disasters

Pemberton, BC – As Emergency Preparedness Week approaches, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is urging all residents and visitors to take a few simple but powerful steps to get prepared, starting with signing up for the SLRD Alert emergency notification system.

Emergency Preparedness Week is an annual national awareness initiative that takes place from May 4-10. It is a collaborative event, organized and coordinated by provincial, territorial and local emergency management organizations. This year, the SLRD is calling upon residents and visitors  like to take several simple actions before the week is over:

1. Sign-up for SLRD Alert by following the instructions on the SLRD website.
2. Follow the SLRD Facebook and SLRD X (Twitter) accounts for year-round hazard-specific
   readiness tips, and to access urgent updates during local emergencies.
3. Create a home emergency plan that can be completed easily and saved to a computer or
   mobile device using the Province of BC’s interactive, online tool.
4. Start building an emergency kit and grab-and-go bag – review the Province of BC’s supply list,
   gather items you may already have, and make a shopping list for items you are missing.

“Preparedness doesn’t need to be complicated, but it can be extremely impactful,” says Jen Ford, SLRD Board Chair. “Having a plan, a grab-and-go bag, and being connected through our SLRD alert system are three things that will make a big difference when an emergency strikes.”

Communities across the SLRD are facing an increasing number of hazards. In recent years, residents throughout the region have been on alert for, or directly impacted by, wildfires, extreme  heat, flooding and landslides, extended power outages and severe storms.

“Many people living in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District have learned firsthand just how quickly things can change. If you only do one thing this week, sign up for SLRD Alert,” added Ford. It’s the fastest way to get important information that could affect your safety, and the safety of your loved ones.”

SLRD Alert, powered by Voyent Alert, is a free, easy-to-use tool that delivers critical emergency notifications by text, phone, email, or app. In the event of an evacuation alert or order, subscribers receive up-to-date, location-specific instructions directly from the SLRD. SLRD Alert provides emergency notifications for SLRD Electoral Areas. For emergency notifications in Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and Lillooet, registration for those systems is required.

Visit the SLRD website www.slrd.bc.ca/preparedness to sign-up for SLRD Alert and access extensive preparedness resources and tools.

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About the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
Located in southwestern BC, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is a local government federation consisting of four member municipalities (the District of Lillooet, the District of Squamish, the Village of Pemberton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler) and four unincorporated, rural electoral areas (A, B, C, and D). Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of local, regional and sub-regional services to approximately 50,496 residents (2021 Census as certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs).

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is found within the traditional territories of several First Nations, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), St'át'imc and Líl̓wat. Small parts of the SLRD also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka'pamux, Tsilhqot'in, and Secwepemc Nations. While the SLRD does not provide direct services to the residents of the First Nations communities located within the region, the organization is committed to enhancing relations with the Indigenous communities and First Nations within whose territories the SLRD operates.