Fact sheet
Community of Saguenay (CMA), Quebec
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Saguenay 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 Saguenay, 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
- People living in Saguenay anticipated winter storms (including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold) (91%), earthquakes (81%) and extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (79%) to be the most likely events to occur within their community. Forest fires or wildfires (78%), floods (75%) as well as industrial or transportation accidents (70%) were also among the events residents believed were likely to occur in their community.
- Residents anticipated turning to the police as an initial source for help and information if they were faced with rioting or civil unrest (55%), an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (43%) or an industrial or transportation accident (34%) (Table 1.1). In the event of a contamination or shortage of water or food (59%) or a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (31%) residents of Saguenay anticipated first turning to local government for help and information. Hospitals, clinics, doctors and other medical professionals (69%) were the most common sources of initial help and information in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease, and in the event of an extended power outage, utility companies (59%) were most commonly anticipated to be the first source of help and information for residents of Saguenay.
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Nearly two-thirds (63%) of residents of Saguenay have experienced a major emergency or disaster within Canada in a community where they were living at the time. Close to seven in ten (68%) of those who had experienced an emergency were faced with severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result.
- Floods were the most common type of emergency or disaster experienced (82%), followed by earthquakes (16%) which were not very common.
- Residents affected by a major emergency or disaster often had to boil drinking water or drink bottled water (55%),Note 6 had to miss school or work (48%), were unable to use roads or transportation within their community (47%) or had to miss an appointment or a planned activity (47%). Two out of five people needed to evacuate their home (42%) and a quarter were unable to communicate with others outside their home (25%).
- About half (46%) of residents of Saguenay who had experienced a major emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event: 7%Note E: Use with caution within 24 hours, 10%Note E: Use with caution within one to two days, 16%Note E: Use with caution within three to five days, and 13%Note E: Use with caution within six to seven days.
- About two-thirds (63%) of residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help either during or immediately following the event. Family members (43%), local government (22%Note E: Use with caution) and not-for-profit or charitable organizations (21%Note E: Use with caution) were the most common sources of assistance.
- Three out of ten (29%) residents of Saguenay who experienced major emergencies or disasters that were significant enough to disrupt their regular daily routines also endured a loss of property or financial impact. Additionally, one in seven (15%Note E: Use with caution) experienced emotional or psychological impacts as a result of the event they experienced.
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Three out of five (60%) residents of Saguenay lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 7 with more than one-third (35%) living in a household with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). More than one in ten (13%) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- About half (52%) of residents lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 8 taken in case of an emergency, with one-quarter (24%) living in a household with three or four such measures. About one in six (16%) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- Almost all (99%) residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector (Table 1.3). About seven in ten (72%) people reported that they had a working fire extinguisher and less than a third (31%) stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their home. One in four (25%) residents in Saguenay reported that they had all three fire safety measures within their households.
- The number of emergency planning activities and fire safety measures taken by residents of Saguenay were not all that different from the behaviours of the province in general, but often differed from the behaviours of Canadians residing in the 10 provinces. Some of these differences include the proportion of residents of Saguenay who were engaged in all four emergency planning activities (13%) and all three fire safety measures (25%), which were both significantly lower than overall Canadian proportions (19% and 42%, respectively).Note 9
- Residents of Saguenay, however, were more likely to have a wind-up or battery-operated radio (64%) when compared to both residents of Quebec as whole as well as to residents of Canada overall (58% each). Contrarily, having an alternate water source was less likely among residents of Saguenay (31%) than among residents of the province as a whole (38%) and Canadians in general (43%).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- About half (52%) of Saguenay’s residents had a strong sense of belongingNote 10 to their community.
- Most (85%) residents described the neighbourhood they lived in as a place where neighbours generally help each other.Note 11 Of those who did not describe their neighbourhood this way, most (83%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.Note 12
- Many residents 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 (58%), for help if physically injured (54%) as well as in case of a home evacuation (53%). However, only 18% of residents had such a large network of support if financial help was needed, and 10% reported they had no one to turn to if they needed financial help.Note 13
- High levels of sense of belonging, self-efficacy and neighbourhood trust, social support as well as civic engagement and involvement in political activities 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 disaster | |
Local government | 31 |
Police/law enforcement | 29 |
911 | 19 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 59 |
Local government | 19 |
News- Radio | 9Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 69 |
911 | 7Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 6Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
Police/law enforcement | 34 |
911 | 26 |
Local government | 20 |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Local government | 59 |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 12Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 6Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
Police/law enforcement | 43 |
911 | 29 |
Local government | 12Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 55 |
911 | 19Note E: Use with caution |
News-Television | 12Note 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 | Saguenay | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 13Table 1.2, Note ** | 10 | 8 |
1 activity | 23Table 1.2, Note ** | 22 | 17 |
2 activities | 25 | 26 | 25 |
3 activities | 22Table 1.2, Note ** | 26 | 27 |
4 activities | 13Table 1.2, Note ** | 14 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 16 | 17 | 16 |
1 measure | 31 | 29 | 27 |
2 measures | 28 | 28 | 28 |
3 measures | 17 | 17 | 20 |
4 measures | 7Note 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 | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1 |
1 measure | 20Table 1.2, Note ** | 24 | 14 |
2 measures | 50Table 1.2, Note *** | 42 | 38 |
3 measures | 25Table 1.2, Note ** | 28 | 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: | Saguenay | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 42Table 1.3, Note ** | 46 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 43 | 40 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 35 | 34 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 49Table 1.3, Note ** | 51 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 49 | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 47Table 1.3, Note ** | 46 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 42Table 1.3, Note ** | 47 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 63Table 1.3, Note ** | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 59 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 64Table 1.3, Note *** | 58 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 47 | 48 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 24 | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 31Table 1.3, Note *** | 38 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 99Table 1.3, Note ** | 98 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 31Table 1.3, Note ** | 34 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 72Table 1.3, Note ** | 67 | 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 † | 35 | 26 | 27 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 31Note E: Use with caution | 14Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 14Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 36 | 28 | 28 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 34 | 17Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 19Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 47 | 38Note E: Use with caution | 36Note E: Use with caution |
No | 32Table 1.4, Note * | 20Table 1.4, Note * | 23 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 42 | 26 | 25 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 26Table 1.4, Note * | 21 | 26 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 46 | 31 | 29 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 28Table 1.4, Note * | 20Table 1.4, Note * | 23 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 49 | 36 | 29 |
No | 24Table 1.4, Note * | 16Table 1.4, Note * | 23 |
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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