New  Mark Your Calendars - May 6-12 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 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.

As in previous years, the district-wide emergency evacuation drill will be conducted during EP Week.  This year, the drill will take place on the afternoon of Friday, May 11, 2012 in conjunction with the 6th Annual "Big One at One" to be held across the province.

At elementary schools, the drill will include a full-scale student release exercise.  For more information on the exercise, as well as other EP tips for parents, click here.

For more information on what is planned across Canada, click here.

EP Clothing Drop Boxes Featured in Surrey Leader

Since May 2010, a number of our school sites have been homes to red clothing drop boxes proudly displaying the Delta School District logo.  The School District, participating schools and the Delta Firefighters Charitable Society started this initiative that would see the society and each school share revenues paid by a recycler for the used books, clothing and shoes, who in turn would sent the articles to Africa.  The funds received by each school would go towards its Emergency Preparedness program.

Click on the logo to read the story posted by the Surrey Leader newspaper 14 January 2011.

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.