Fact sheet
Community of Vernon (CA), British Columbia
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census AgglomerationNote 1 of Vernon 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 Vernon, 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
- Wildfires (88%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (64%) and heat waves (59%) were named by residents of Vernon as the events most likely to occur in their community.
- Residents most commonly reported that they would anticipate turning to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease (59%), to their utility company in the event of an extended power outage (59%), and to police or law enforcement in the event of an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (50%Note E: Use with caution) or rioting or civil unrest (40%) (Table 1.1).
- Residents also stated that they would most commonly anticipate turning to local government if they faced a contamination or shortage of water or food (39%), and to news on the radio if they faced a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (37%) or an industrial or transportation accident (30%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- One-quarter (25%) of Vernon residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, two-thirds (68%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Wildfires (44%Note E: Use with caution) were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster by residents of Vernon, followed by floods (25%Note E: Use with caution).
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced major emergencies or disasters included missing an appointment or planned activity (62%) or missing work or school (54%). More severe disruptions experienced were home evacuation (42%Note E: Use with caution) and an inability to use roads or transportation in the community (19%Note E: Use with caution).
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event; approximately one-quarter (23%Note E: Use with caution) of whom were able to resume their activities within six to seven days.
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) of residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from first responders (28%Note E: Use with caution).
- One-third (33%Note E: Use with caution) of residents of Vernon 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
- Three-quarters (75%) of people residing in Vernon lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 and one-half (49%) lived in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). Approximately one in twenty (6%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Nearly six in ten (57%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, and three in ten (30%) lived in a household with three or four such measures. Less than one-fifth (17%) of people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- Nearly all (97%) residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and three-quarters (76%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). Two-thirds (66%) of residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. Just over one-half (54%) of residents of Vernon stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures in their household.
- In general, the number of emergency planning activities and precautionary measures residents of Vernon engaged in did not differ significantly from residents in British Columbia and Canada’s 10 provinces overall. In terms or fire safety measures, residents of Vernon were more likely to have all three fire safety measures in place (54%) compared to those on a provincial (38%) and national (42%) level.Note 8
- Whenever significant differences existed in the types of activities and measures in place by residents of Vernon compared to British Columbia and Canada, Vernon residents were almost always more prepared. For example, Vernon residents were more likely to have a working fire extinguisher (76%) and a vehicle emergency supply kit (70%) than those in British Columbia (69% and 58%, respectively) and Canada (66% and 59%, respectively).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Six in ten (59%) residents of Vernon had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- The vast majority (89%) of 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 (90%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.
- The majority of 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 (65%), for help if physically injured (60%) and in the event of a home evacuation (58%). Three in ten (30%) residents had a large support network if financial help was needed, and one in ten (11%Note E: Use with caution) reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 11
- High levels of sense of belonging, social support, self-efficacy and neighbourhood trust were often 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 disasterTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
News- Radio | 37 |
News- Television | 23 |
News- Internet | 21 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 59 |
News- Radio | 12Note E: Use with caution |
Neighbours | 5Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 59 |
News- Internet | 20Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 14Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 30 |
Police/law enforcement | 20Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 18Note E: Use with caution |
Contamination or shortage of water or food | |
Local government | 39 |
News- Radio | 18Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threatTable 1.1, Note 2 | |
Police/law enforcement | 50Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 40 |
News- Radio | 29Note E: Use with caution |
E use with caution
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Number of planning activities, fire safety and precautionary measures taken by residents | Vernon | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 6Note E: Use with caution | 6 | 8 |
1 activity | 16 | 15 | 17 |
2 activities | 26 | 22 | 25 |
3 activities | 30 | 29 | 27 |
4 activities | 19Table 1.2, Note * | 25 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 17 | 13 | 16 |
1 measure | 23 | 24 | 27 |
2 measures | 27 | 27 | 28 |
3 measures | 21 | 23 | 20 |
4 measures | 9Note E: Use with caution | 8 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2, Note 1Table 1.2, Note 2 | |||
None | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1Note E: Use with caution | 1 |
1 measure | 9Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note *** | 14 | 14 |
2 measures | 32Table 1.2, Note * | 40 | 38 |
3 measures | 54Table 1.2, Note *** | 38 | 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: | Vernon | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 70Table 1.3, Note ** | 71 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 51 | 49 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 39 | 38 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 51 | 54 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 46Table 1.3, Note * | 55 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 70Table 1.3, Note *** | 58 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 56 | 55 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 66 | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 53 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 53 | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 56Table 1.3, Note ** | 55 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 22 | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 46 | 48 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 23 | 21 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 97 | 95 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detectorTable 1.3, Note 6 | 66Table 1.3, Note * | 52 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 76Table 1.3, Note *** | 69 | 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 † | 50 | 31 | 55 |
No | 48Note E: Use with caution | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 47Note E: Use with caution |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 52 | 33 | 55 |
No | 43 | 22Note E: Use with caution | 50 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 61 | 36Note E: Use with caution | 69 |
No | 44Table 1.4, Note * | 28 | 48Table 1.4, Note * |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 53 | 34 | 62 |
No | 45 | 24Note E: Use with caution | 43Note * |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 59 | 39 | 58 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 40Table 1.4, Note * | 22Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 52 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 57 | 35 | 60 |
No | 40Table 1.4, Note * | 23Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 47 |
E use with caution F too unreliable to be published
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Notes
E use with caution
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