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Emergency Preparedness

Redwater is part of the Sturgeon Regional Emergency Management Partnership (SREMP), a regional approach to emergency management. The SREMP website is a great resource for information and updates regarding emergencies.

Emergency preparedness: March 2023

Preparing Yourself and Your Home for a Wildfire

It’s wildfire season in Alberta, and it’s time to practice fire safety and take steps to protect our property.

Last year, Alberta saw 1,246 wildfires that burned nearly 131,000 hectares of land. Most of these fires, at 61 per cent, were caused by people, which usually means they could have been prevented.

This wildfire season – from March until the end of October – stay on the lookout for wildfire, and be ready if one threatens your community.


If you see a wildfire, call 911, or 310-FIRE (310-3473) in a forested area.

Safe Burning and Fire Prevention

Some of the ways people cause wildfires include operating an off-highway vehicle (OHV), having a campfire or using fireworks. Being safe when doing these activities reduces the risk of wildfire.

  • Visit albertafirebans.ca to see if there is a fire advisory, restriction or ban in your community before you have a fire or discharge fireworks.
  • If you smoke, only dispose of cigarettes in appropriate containers and never discard them from a moving vehicle.
  • Only burn what you can control, never leave a fire unattended, and fully extinguish fire pits and burn barrels after use. Learn more about safe burning.
  • Before you ride an OHV, clean out hot spots – including exhaust and muffler, under the seat, in wheel wells and engine and manifold – and remove debris from your machine. Remove build-up from your machine throughout your ride, and carry a fire extinguisher with you in case there is a fire. Learn more wildfire prevention tips for OHV users

Protecting Your Home

Homes can be easily ignited by embers from an area wildfire. Learn FireSmart methods to make your home less vulnerable to wildfires:

  • Remove items that can burn – like dried branches, leaves, lawn furniture, propane tanks, firewood and debris – from within 1.5 metres (five feet) of your home.
  • Remove and properly dispose of debris, leaves and other material from your roof and gutters.
  • Remove dead vegetation and other items from under your deck or porch. Screen or box-in areas below decks to prevent debris and other materials from gathering.
  • Keep your lawn watered and maintained. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire.
  • Prune trees so the lowest branches are at least 1.75 metres (six feet) from the ground. Make sure branches are at least 15 metres (five feet) from your home, deck or fence.

 

View the SREMP website to learn more about how you can get prepared for an emergency.

SREMP is a partnership between Sturgeon County, Morinville, Gibbons, Redwater, Bon Accord and Legal. These municipalities work together to coordinate emergency preparedness, response and recovery from disasters.

Planning for 72 hours of self-sufficiency will ensure that you are more comfortable during emergency responses. Knowing how to shelter in place or what to do during an evacuation are key necessities when disaster strikes. Disasters are going to happen….are you prepared?

Access emergency information by having the Alberta Emergency Alert app downloaded to your phone. Disasters can occur anywhere, at any time. Alberta Emergency Alerts provides you with critical information about immediate disasters, where the disasters are occurring and what action you can take to better prepare yourself.

NR CAER

The Town of Redwater is a member of Northeast Region Community Awareness Emergency Response (NRCAER), a mutual aid emergency response association that began in 1991. Members include emergency management professionals from local industries and municipalities who train, plan and share best practices for emergency response in our area.  You may have noticed the large electronic signs throughout the surrounding area, they are a part of the emergency response notification system.  Watch the video below for more information about emergency alerts and the electronic signs. 

For current information on activities you may see, hear or other notices, call the UPDATEline 1-866-653-9959. Check out www.nrcaer.com for more information.