Fact sheet
Community of Barrie (CMA), Ontario
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Barrie was collected through the Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada (SEPR).Note 2 This fact sheet presents information on the risk awareness and level of emergency preparedness of the residents of Barrie, which could help improve the understanding of community resilience in the event of an emergency.Note 3Note 4
Risk awareness and anticipated sources of help in an emergency or disaster
- Winter storms (including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold) (96%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (85%) and tornadoes (69%) were named by residents of Barrie as the most likely events to occur within their community.
- Residents most commonly anticipated turning to news on the radio as an initial source for help and information if they were faced with a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (36%) or an industrial or transportation accident (29%) (Table 1.1). News on the television was most frequently listed as the first place to turn to for information or assistance in the event of an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (32%Note E: Use with caution).
- Residents also stated (48%) that hospitals, clinics, doctors and other medical professionals were the most commonly anticipated sources of initial help and information in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease. Other results were split: residents anticipated turning to police or law enforcement in the event of rioting or civil unrest (36%Note E: Use with caution), to their utility company during an extended power outage (35%), and to local government in the event of a contamination or shortage of water or food (31%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- About half (53%) of Barrie residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, approximately six in ten (63%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (64%) were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster by residents of Barrie, followed by tornadoes (23%) and winter storms (including blizzards and ice storms) (11%Note E: Use with caution).
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced a major emergency or disaster included an inability to use electrical appliances (81%), an inability to heat or cool the home (74%), and missing school or work (64%). More severe, but less frequent, disruptions experienced were an inability to communicate outside of the home (17%Note E: Use with caution) or use roads or transportation in the community (13%Note E: Use with caution), as well as home evacuation (15%Note E: Use with caution).
- Approximately nine in ten (88%) residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event, with more than six in ten (63%) residents resuming their activities in two days or less.
- Nearly half (45%) of residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from neighbours (42%) and family (42%).
- Over one-third (36%) of residents of Barrie who experienced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community where they were living at the time of the event and which was significant enough to disrupt their regular daily routine also endured a loss of property or financial impact.
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Four out of five (81%) people residing in Barrie lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 and over half (56%) lived in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). Less than one in ten (7%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Close to two-thirds (63%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, with one-third (34%) living in a household with three or four such measures. More than one in ten (13%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- The majority (99.8%) of residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and three-quarters (75%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). More than four in five (85%) residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. Approximately two-thirds (64%) of the residents of Barrie stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- There were some differences in the number of emergency planning activities, fire safety and precautionary measures put in place by residents of Barrie when compared to residents of Ontario and Canada’s 10 provinces overall. For example, the proportion of Barrie residents who had three emergency planning activities (36%) and three precautionary measures (26%) in place was significantly higher than Ontarians (28% and 20%, respectively) and Canadians in general (27% and 20%, respectively). In addition, the proportion of residents in Barrie who had all three fire safety measures in place (64%) was significantly higher compared to Ontario (53%) and Canada more broadly (42%).Note 8
- There were some differences in the types of activities and measures put in place by residents of Barrie when compared to Ontario and Canada in general. For example, the proportion of Barrie residents who had a working smoke detector (99.8%), a working fire extinguisher (75%), an emergency exit plan (71%) and an alternate water source (53%) was significantly higher compared to Ontarians and Canadians in general. In addition, the proportion of residents in Barrie that had a working carbon monoxide detector (85%), a vehicle emergency supply kit (66%), a wind-up or battery-operated radio (64%) and extra copies of important documents (61%) were significantly higher than that of Canadians.
Social networks and sense of belonging
- More than half (52%) of Barrie’s residents had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- Most (90%) residents described the neighbourhood they lived in as a place where neighbours generally help each other.Note 10 Of those who did not describe their neighbourhood this way, most (86%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.Note 11
- Many individuals had a large network of support in the event of an emergency or disaster, with more than five people to turn to for emotional support (70%), for help if physically injured (69%) as well as in case of a home evacuation (59%). About one-third of residents had a large support network if financial help was needed (32%). However, 9% reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 12
- High levels of sense of belonging, self-efficacy and social support, as well involvement in political activities, were sometimes associated with a higher level of emergency preparedness (Table 1.4).
Data tables
Most common sources of initial help and information by type of emergency or disaster | percent |
---|---|
Weather-related emergency or natural disaster | |
News- Radio | 36 |
News- Television | 31 |
News- Internet | 25 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 35 |
News- Radio | 26 |
Family | 12Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 48 |
News- Radio | 21 |
News- Internet | 20 |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 29 |
News- Television | 27 |
News- Internet | 26Note E: Use with caution |
Contamination or shortage of water or food | |
Local government | 31 |
News- Radio | 22 |
News- Television | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
News- Television | 32Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 29Note E: Use with caution |
Police/law enforcement | 26Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 36Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 28Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 28Note E: Use with caution |
E use with caution Note: Respondents who perceived their community was at risk for any form of emergency or disaster were then asked where they would turn to first for information or assistance in the event of the perceived emergency or disaster. Respondents could provide more than one response. Responses of 'don't know/not stated' are included in the total for the percentage calculation but are not footnoted when representing 5% or less of respondents. Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Number of planning activities, fire safety and precautionary measures taken by residents | Barrie | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 7Note E: Use with caution | 8 | 8 |
1 activity | 10Table 1.2, Note *** | 16 | 17 |
2 activities | 25 | 25 | 25 |
3 activities | 36Table 1.2, Note *** | 28 | 27 |
4 activities | 20 | 21 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 13Note E: Use with caution | 15 | 16 |
1 measure | 23 | 28 | 27 |
2 measures | 29 | 29 | 28 |
3 measures | 26Table 1.2, Note *** | 20 | 20 |
4 measures | 8Note E: Use with caution | 6 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2, Note 1 | |||
None | Note F: too unreliable to be published | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1 |
1 measure | 4Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note *** | 7 | 14 |
2 measures | 29Table 1.2, Note ** | 35 | 38 |
3 measures | 64Table 1.2, Note *** | 53 | 42 |
E use with caution F too unreliable to be published
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Residents whose households were involved in the following: | Barrie | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 71Table 1.3, Note *** | 63 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 48 | 47 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 36 | 30 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 56 | 57 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 47 | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 66Table 1.3, Note ** | 62 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 61Table 1.3, Note ** | 56 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 72 | 71 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 69 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 64Table 1.3, Note ** | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 50 | 46 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 23 | 20 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 53Table 1.3, Note *** | 44 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 100Table 1.3, Note *** | 99 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 85Table 1.3, Note ** | 80 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 75Table 1.3, Note *** | 64 | 66 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Social and political involvement | Percentage of residents who had high or moderately high levels of... | ||
---|---|---|---|
Planning activities | Precautionary measures | Fire safety measures | |
percent | |||
Engagement in political activitiesTable 1.4, Note 1 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 58 | 39 | 66 |
No | 53Note E: Use with caution | 22Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 57 |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 61 | 38 | 65 |
No | 51 | 33 | 64 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 62 | 43 | 73 |
No | 55 | 30Table 1.4, Note * | 61 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 64 | 36 | 60 |
No | 47Table 1.4, Note * | 30 | 70 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 62 | 33 | 66 |
No | 53 | 34 | 64 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 64 | 33 | 60 |
No | 46Table 1.4, Note * | 34 | 71Table 1.4, Note * |
E use with caution
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Notes
E use with caution
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