There are iPhone, Blackberry and android apps where you can store important emergency contacts, medical and insurance information all in one place. Two such apps are In Case of Emergency (ICE) and Emergency Preparedness Checklist, which also provides preparedness tips.

There are 109 Public Access Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in Oxford County. Knowing how to respond to a cardiac emergency can increase a person’s odds of survival and recovery. 1. Call 911, 2. Get an AED 3. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest.

Good Samaritan Law: an individual, other than a health care professional described in clause (a), who provides emergency first aid assistance to a person who is ill, injured or unconscious as a result of an accident or other emergency, if the individual provides the assistance at the immediate scene of the accident or emergency.

Move Over Law: Highway Traffic Act requires drivers to slow down when passing an emergency vehicle parked on the side of the highway with its lights activated. If the highway has more than one lane, move over and leave one lane between you and the parked emergency vehicle if it can be done safely. Fines from $400 to $2,000 and 3 demerit points.

There are 197 structures and 23 buildings in the Grand River Conservation Authority floodplain.

According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, ever since the Edmonton tornado of 1987, the number of multi-million dollar losses from weather disasters has been on the rise in Canada.

On July 12, just before 2 p.m., a fierce 30-minute storm pelted the Stampede city with large hail balls – some that approached baseball size. The massive hailstorm, dubbed Canada’s most expensive hailstorm, decimated over 90,000 hectares of cropland near Strathmore and Hussar, spurring crop damage claims totaling $18.5 million.

To mitigate potential drought, Oxford County has a water conservation program that regulates the external use of municipal water from May 1 to Sept. 30. Watering is permitted every other day on odd days if your address ends in an odd number or even days if your address ends with an even number.

You must take out an electrical permit to permanently connect a generator to your home’s electrical system. ESA strongly recommends hiring a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) to ensure your generator is installed correctly.

In December 2013 an ice storm resulted in 27 deaths, loss of power to over a million residents and more than $200 million in damages.

In 1998 a massive ice storm prompted Ottawa, Smiths Falls, and other Eastern Ontario municipalities to declare a state of emergency after up to 80 hours of freezing rain. On January 7, Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick called on the help of the Canadian Forces, prompting the deployment of more than 15,000 military personnel at the peak of the crisis.

On June 23, 2010 a 5.0 earthquake was reported in central Canada. Ottawa, declared this earthquake as being its most powerful in 65 years. The 30-second quake originated in Quebec, but could be felt as far away as London, ON.

On the morning of July 9, 1997 a fire at Hamilton’s Plastimet raged for four days, consuming approximately 400 tonnes of plastic inside the facility. The sky above was filled with a dense toxic plume. Six hundred residents were evacuated.

Non-emergency Calls Ambulance, police and fire departments all have administrative telephone numbers to receive non-emergency calls. Refer to your local municipal directory.

Lightning flashes in Canada about once every three seconds during the summer. Each year in Canada, lightning strikes kill up to 10 people and seriously injure up to 164 others.

Extreme weather is projected to get worse. Ontario’s climate is changing and this may lead to longer heat waves, more hail and floods and an increased severity and number of storm events.

In 12 seconds, an F3 tornado destroyed 90% of trees in Goderich Courthouse Square Park in 2011. Volunteers helped replant 150+ trees.

If you spot downed power lines, stay back at least 10 metres and report immediately to 911.

Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians helps individuals, small owner-operated businesses, farms and not-for-profit organizations cover emergency expenses and repair or replace essential property following a natural disaster.

The top items for your emergency kit include 4L of water/person/day, flashlights and extra batteries, non-perishable food and can opener, first aid kit, battery-powered or crank radio.

The province of Ontario issues an Alert Ready to provide recommended immediate actions to protect citizens, their families, and others when there is an imminent threat to life, public safety, or property. When an alert is heard on your phone, radio, or television, it is the public's responsibility to stop, listen, and respond as directed.

Your contact list is only as good as the battery life of your phone. Keep a list of important numbers in your emergency kit.

KNOW * PLAN * PREPARE

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