After tornados touched down so close to home last weekend, the City of Lloydminster is emphasizing the importance of updating the community’s emergency plans.
Manager of Emergency Operations Ernie Polsum says for some natural disasters there is a limited amount of time between when the city knows of the extreme weather versus when it actually does happen. He advises residents to monitor the weather conditions through the media and weather apps.
“That awareness piece is incredibly important and then knowing what you’re going to do if you have a problem.”
Under the Alberta Emergency Management Act, Lloydminster is required to have a plan for natural and man-made disasters. Polsum says the City’s emergency plans are constantly adapting.
“These plans are really fluid. Our knowledge and understanding of emergency management, our knowledge and understanding of the risks, the type of risks that our community face changes quite regularly.”
The emergency operations department frequently observes weather patterns to check for possible natural disasters forming in the area. In the case of an emergency, the plan is broken down into four components for response, evacuation and shelter, social services and emergency Information and I.T. Residents are asked to visit the City’s website in preparation of a large-scale emergency.
Three injuries and no deaths were reported in the recent tornados that struck Cold Lake and Meadow Lake from last weekend’s storms.