The City of Vernon is marking Emergency Preparedness Week as an opportunity for both the city and the community to take proactive steps to prepare for wildfire and emergency season.
In a statement, the city said this year’s national and provincial themes highlight that preparedness is a shared responsibility, one that begins at home and extends across the entire community.
Residents are encouraged to focus on three key steps, “know the risks,” “make a plan” and “resource the plan,” as wildfires are a seasonal reality.
To support community readiness, the city is also partnering with the Youth Climate Corps to host two upcoming community emergency preparedness workshops:
- Community workshop: designed for residents looking to better understand how to prepare their households.
- Service provider workshop: tailored for organizations and professionals supporting vulnerable populations and community response efforts.
On Wednesday, May 6 at 1:55 p.m., the Alert Ready emergency alert system will be tested provincewide, sending notifications across televisions, radios and compatible cellphones to ensure the system is functioning as intended.
At the same time, the City of Vernon will test the emergency siren in the Predator Ridge area, which will sound for approximately three minutes, alternating between high- and low-pitch tones.
The siren is part of a local initiative to improve communication during wildfire evacuations.
No action is required from the public during the siren test.
Vernon Residents can visits the emergency preparedness section on the City’s website.
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