What is DeltaPrepared?
There are many hazards that could affect the Delta School District, due to its geographical location and naturally occurring events, including but not limited to the following:
- earthquakes
- floods
- fires
- hazardous material incidents
- transportation incidents
- utility failures
Following a major emergency or disaster, first responders (Delta Fire & Emergency Services, BC Ambulance Service, etc.) may not be available for some time during the initial phase. In fact, the Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) advises that individuals and organizations should be prepared to carry on without assistance for the first 72 hours. Provincial and municipal governments have structures to respond to these emergencies, but not during this early period. Being prepared should be the greatest asset a school or any other district facility can have in facilitating its occupants’ survival and well-being. DeltaPrepared is the strategy the Delta School District is following to ensure that the District Emergency Plan is complete and workable, and to enable all schools and central operations to maintain a minimum level of preparedness in case of a natural disaster.
Delta Prepared Newsletter September 2017
May 6-12, 2018 is Emergency Preparedness Week
Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) is an annual event that takes place each year during the first full week of May.
This national event is coordinated by the Public Safety Canada, in close collaboration with the provinces and territories and partners.
During Emergency Preparedness Week, activities are organized across Canada to raise awareness of the importance of:
- having an emergency kit;
- making an emergency plan; and
- identifying risks in the region.
These three simple steps can help Canadians prepare for all types of emergencies. In Delta, our schools run earthquake drills complete with evacuation and in some cases, full exercises including post-earthquake site management and student release.
Schools throughout Delta will be conducting earthquake drills on various days through EP Week .
Fires are real, not just events in the news or movies. Fire is fast, extremely hot and spreads rapidly. It creates thick black toxic smoke that is even more deadly than flames! When fire strikes, seconds are important! There is no time to stop and think. Everyone needs to know what to do! Smoke alarms provide the early warning of the problem and a home fire escape plan will provide time to escape safely. Although we hope you never have to use it, planning and practising your home escape plan may one day save your life and the lives of your loved ones.
This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” works to better educate the public about the critical importance of developing a home escape plan and practicing it. The Delta Fire Department is working in coordination with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the official sponsor of the Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, to reinforce those potentially life-saving messages. Fire Prevention Week is October 7-13, 2018.
“Home escape planning is one of the most basic but fundamental elements of home fire safety, and can truly make the difference between life and death in a fire situation,” In support of Fire Prevention Week, Delta Fire & Emergency Services would like your school to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme, “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” For more information, click here.
2018 Great British Columbia ShakeOut
The 2018 Great British Columbia ShakeOut earthquake drill will be held Thursday, October 18th at 10:18am (mark your calendars… the ShakeOut is always on the third Thursday of October!). Staff and students in the Delta School District were among over 890,000 British Columbians who participated in 2017, and we encourage you to participate again in 2018! We are hoping to match last year’s registration by having 100% sign up this year for the event.
Remember when registering that your drill does not need to be on the exact date… it can be a few days before or after if this works better for your site.
Please take a moment now to log in and renew your registration for the 2018 Great British Columbia ShakeOut.
District Emergency Management Manual
The former “District Emergency Preparedness Manual” has been re-written to synchronize with the Provincial Emergency Management Planning Guide for Schools, Districts & Authorities, released in 2015, to generally update forms and references, to include a self-contained site-specific emergency plan template, and to incorporate the contents of the District Emergency Response Manual. To view and download the new sections or the entire manual, click here.
Drop, Cover and Hold vs. the “Triangle of Life”?
Read why the Delta School District, as well as many other organizations, subscribe to the “Drop, Cover and Hold” philosophy during an earthquake as opposed to the “Triangle of Life” as has been circulating over the e-mail wire for the past number of years: