Emergency Preparedness Week promotes connection as key to community resilience
May 4, 2026•2 Minutes
Listen to the broadcast version of this story, which aired on Kootenay Morning on May 4, 2026:
By Jaime Frederick, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
May 3 to 9 is Emergency Preparedness Week in BC, and even though wildfire season has not yet begun in the Central Kootenays this year, early fires in other parts of the province are a stark reminder that emergencies – whether fires or flood or a power outage – can happen anytime. It’s never too soon to be prepared.
This year’s theme for Emergency Preparedness Week is “In it Together” and both the Province of BC and the Regional District of Central Kootenay are reminding people that preparing for emergencies is as much about being connected as it is about gathering supplies.
“Emergency preparedness is everyone’s responsibility,” says Nora Hannon, acting emergency program manager for the RDCK. “By working together, we can build resilience towards the emergencies that impact our communities.”
The first step toward community resilience is to get connected before things happen. Get to know your neighbours and be aware of others who might be more vulnerable or need assistance during an emergency situation.
Once those community connections are established, the next step is to get educated about the hazards in your community, gather your supplies and make your home emergency plan and grab and go kit.
To help British Columbians get better organized, PreparedBC is hosting a webinar, Building Resilient Neighbourhoods, this Thursday, May 7, at 7 pm. Registration is free and open to the public.
In addition, both the RDCK and the Province will be testing their emergency notification systems this week. The Province will conduct its test on Wednesday at 1:55 pm. The RDCK’s test will take place the following day around 2:00 pm. Anyone registered will receive a test notification by text, email, landline, or through the Voyent Alert! app.
If you’re not yet registered with the RDCK’s emergency notification system, you can sign up to receive notifications on the RDCK website at RDCK.ca.
