This week is national Emergency Preparedness Week and Steinbach's emergency coordinator is encouraging each residence to have an emergency plan in place.

Denis Vassart says the theme for this year's Emergency Preparedness Week is plan, prepare, be aware. He notes it is a great time to remind people to go over their household's emergency plan.

“We would like everyone to have a plan. I know a lot of folks have a fire plan at home and we would like you to have an emergency plan. What you are going to do if a tornado is about to hit, what are you doing to do if the power is out for three days, how do you look after yourselves for a period of time.”

Vassart says every municipality also has an emergency plan that covers a wide range of situations including natural disasters and things like chemical spills or dangerous goods accidents. He notes most municipal emergency plans are available online and the City of Steinbach and R.M. of Hanover websites even outline how to set up an emergency kit that will keep your family safe for up to 72 hours.

“Having an emergency preparedness kit, that is one of the key things, that way you have something you can put into place, you know where your kit is, you can keep it up to date, you can go in and get the things you need to stay alive and keep yourself as comfortable as you can and one of the key things to have in your kit is a battery operated radio.”

Vassart says radio is a key source of information in an emergency. He notes if you have a smartphone it is also a good idea to get an app that will keep you informed in an emergency such as the Steinbach Live App.