Fact sheet
Community of Trois-Rivières (CMA), Quebec
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Trois-Rivières 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 Trois-Rivières, 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
- Residents of Trois-Rivières anticipated winter storms (including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold) (91%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (78%) and heat waves (70%) as the emergency-type events most likely to occur within 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 (64%), an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (59%), an industrial or transportation accident (35%) or a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (31%) (Table 1.1). Hospitals, clinics, doctors and other medical professionals (67%) were the most commonly anticipated sources for initial help and information in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease. In the event of an extended power outage, residents anticipated turning to their utility company first (68%), and in the event of contamination or shortage of water or food, residents would first turn to their local government (60%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Close to two in five (37%) people in Trois-Rivières have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada within a community where they were living at the time. Among them, more than half (62%) experienced severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result.
- Residents who had faced a major emergency or disaster most commonly experienced winter storms, which include blizzards and ice storms (70%). Although not experienced as often, extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (14%Note E: Use with caution) followed as the next most commonly experienced emergency-type event.
- Seven in ten (70%) residents who have experienced major emergencies or disasters were unable to use electrical appliances as a result. Other common disruptions to daily activities included missing school or work (58%), the inability to use water at home for routine tasks (44%) and missing appointments or planned activities (40%). Other more severe disruptions included home evacuations (33%) and an inability to use roads or transportation within the community (26%Note E: Use with caution).
- Three-quarters (75%) of residents of Trois-Rivières who had experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event; one-third (33%) were able to resume their activities in two days or less.
- Less than half (45%) of the residents received help either during or immediately following the emergency, most commonly from a family member (47%Note E: Use with caution).
- One in three (36%) people in Trois-Rivières who had experienced a major emergency or disaster which was significant enough to disrupt their regular daily activities also endured a loss of property or another financial impact as a result. Long-term emotional or psychological (8%Note E: Use with caution) consequences were not commonly experienced.
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Two-thirds (65%) of residents of Trois-Rivières lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 with approximately one-third (35%) living in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). One in ten (10%) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Just under half (44%) of residents lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency. Among them were those who had three or four such measures, representing 18% of residents of Trois-Rivières. One out of five (20%) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- Most (99%) residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and two-thirds (67%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). Less than half (43%) of residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their home. One in three (33%) people reported that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- There were almost no significant differences in terms of the number of emergency planning activities, fire safety or precautionary measures people were involved in when residents of Trois-Rivières were compared to Quebec residents in general. However, there were differences when they were compared to residents of Canada’s 10 provinces overall. Residents of Trois-Rivières were less likely to have undertaken all four emergency planning activities (13%) and precautionary measures (4%Note E: Use with caution), and to have all three fire safety measures (33%) in place, compared to people in Canada overall (19%, 7% and 42%, respectively).Note 8
- Additional differences in terms of the types of activities and measures residents were engaged in were observed. For example, people in Trois-Rivières were less likely than Canadians in general to have an emergency exit plan (46% versus 60%). Residents of Trois-Rivières (43%) were less likely than Canadians overall (60%) but more likely than residents of Quebec in general (34%) to have a working carbon monoxide detector within their homes.
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Less than half (46%) of the people living in Trois-Rivières had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- Most (82%) 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 (79%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.Note 11
- 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 (54%), for help if physically injured (49%) as well as in case of a home evacuation (44%). However, only about one in six people had such a large network of support if financial help was needed (17%), and just over one in ten (13%) reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 12
- High levels of sense of belonging, self-efficacy and neighbourhood trust 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 | |
Police/law enforcement | 31 |
Local government | 24 |
911 | 19 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 68 |
News- Radio | 7Note E: Use with caution |
Local government | 6Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 67 |
911 | 9Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 8Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
Police/law enforcement | 35 |
911 | 20 |
Local government | 18 |
Contamination or shortage of water or food | |
Local government | 60 |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 13Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 9Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
Police/law enforcement | 59 |
911 | 24 |
News- Television | 11Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 64 |
911 | 22 |
News- Television | 11Note 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 | Trois-Rivières | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 10 | 10 | 8 |
1 activity | 24Table 1.2, Note ** | 22 | 17 |
2 activities | 30Table 1.2, Note ** | 26 | 25 |
3 activities | 22Table 1.2, Note ** | 26 | 27 |
4 activities | 13Table 1.2, Note ** | 14 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 20 | 17 | 16 |
1 measure | 34Table 1.2, Note ** | 29 | 27 |
2 measures | 26 | 28 | 28 |
3 measures | 14Table 1.2, Note ** | 17 | 20 |
4 measures | 4Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note *** | 8 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2, Note 1Table 1.2Note 2Table 1.2, Note 3 | |||
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 | 41 | 42 | 38 |
3 measures | 33Table 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: | Trois-Rivières | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 46Table 1.3, Note ** | 46 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 44 | 40 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 38 | 34 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 51 | 51 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 46 | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 50Table 1.3, Note ** | 46 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 43Table 1.3, Note ** | 47 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 68 | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 46Table 1.3, Note *** | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 54 | 58 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 47 | 48 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 16Table 1.3, Note *** | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 29Table 1.3, Note *** | 38 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 17 | 20 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 99 | 98 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 43Table 1.3, Note *** | 34 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 67 | 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 † | 34 | 17 | 35 |
No | 36Note E: Use with caution | 31Note E: Use with caution | 29Note E: Use with caution |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 35 | 19 | 35 |
No | 34 | 18Note E: Use with caution | 31 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 31Note E: Use with caution | 23Note E: Use with caution | 37Note E: Use with caution |
No | 37 | 17 | 32 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 41 | 22 | 36 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 31Table 1.4, Note * | 15Note E: Use with caution | 31 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 37 | 24 | 41 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 36 | 15Table 1.4, Note * | 28Table 1.4, Note * |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 38 | 17 | 40 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 33 | 19 | 29Table 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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