A plan to help victims of fire, flood and other disasters is now in place for Martensville.

The Martensville Fire Department (MFD)and Saskatoon Red Cross have made arrangements to provide assistance to people affected by traumatic events, according to Martensville Deputy Fire Chief Dean Brooman.

The agreement was finalized on Monday, May 3, the beginning of Emergency Preparedness Week across the province.

“We have talked to the Red Cross and established a plan in the event of a residential house fire, for example, where the occupants need assistance,” said Brooman. “It could also include larger events, like a condo fire, tornado or flooding situation that affects larger numbers of people.

“Basically it ensures we can access the necessary resources when we need to,” he added. “The idea is to set the plan up ahead of time so when it’s needed, it’s there.”

Brooman said while the Red Cross has not been called upon to help in Martensville in the recent past, there were occasions when the agency’s help could have been used if a plan had been in place.

Martensville Fire Chief Kurtis Dyck is overseeing the city’s Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) strategy following the recent departure of Tracy Wilson-Gerwing from the Martensville EMO Coordinator position. The fire department is currently updating the EMO plan.

“We took a hard look at our EMO plan and found that there are some areas that need strengthening,” said Brooman. “Ensuring there is a plan to help disaster victims is an important part of that overall plan, and this arrangement with the Red Cross will certainly help.”

While outside assistance following a disaster is often needed, Brooman said it’s equally important for people to be prepared before a disaster happens.

“That’s the whole idea behind Emergency Preparedness Week,” said Brooman. “There are a lot of things people can do ahead of time to protect themselves and their families, and to reduce the stress and trauma when bad things happen.”

Brooman said it’s important people be prepared prior to a disaster, because emergency personnel may be delayed.

The MFD is posting emergency preparedness tips on its facebook page during the course of the week. The posts include information on a variety of topics, including: how to sign up for the city’s ‘Notify now’ and the province’s ‘SaskAlert’ phone apps; how to make a 72-hour emergency preparedness kit for the home; how to map out a family plan to contact each other in the event of a disaster; and how to put measures in place to take care of pets.

A comprehensive list of how to prepare for emergencies is also available online at the Saskatoon Red Cross website.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is encouraging residents to be ready for anything by making a plan and preparing an emergency kit.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” SPSA President Marlo Pritchard said. “Emergency Preparedness Week is a great time to think about what can happen to your home, property or family and take action to be prepared.”