Fact sheet
Community of Drummondville (CA), Quebec
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census AgglomerationNote 1 of Drummondville 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 Drummondville, 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
- Most (92%) residents of Drummondville anticipated winter storms (including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold) to be the most likely events to occur within their community, followed by extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (85%) and industrial or transportation accidents (61%).
- The police were the most commonly anticipated source of initial help and information by residents in the event of rioting or civil unrest (58%), an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (47%) or an industrial or transportation accident (28%) (Table 1.1). Residents anticipated first turning to their local government in the event of a contamination or shortage of water or food (47%) or a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (27%). If faced with an extended power outage, residents of Drummondville would turn to their utility company first (62%) and to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional (66%) in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease.
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Close to six in ten (62%) people in Drummondville have faced a major emergency or disaster within Canada in a community where they were living at the time. Most (77%) of these people experienced severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result.
- Winter storms, which include blizzards and ice storms were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster (92%).
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who experienced major emergencies or disasters included the inability to use electrical appliances (78%), missing work or school (72%) and having to boil water for drinking or drink bottled water (53%).Note 6 More severe disruptions included home evacuations (43%), experienced by more than four in ten residents, and the inability to use roads or transportation within the community (22%), experienced by nearly a quarter of people faced with an emergency.
- Three in ten (30%) victims of major emergencies or disasters were able to resume their daily activities within a week of the event. More than half (52%) needed between one and four weeks to recover.
- Two-thirds (67%) of residents received help during or immediately following the emergency or disaster they experienced. Family members (52%) were the most common source of assistance, followed by friends (16%Note E: Use with caution) and local government (15%Note E: Use with caution).
- Half (50%) of the residents of Drummondville who had experienced major emergencies or disasters that were significant enough to disrupt their regular daily activities endured a loss of property or another financial impact as a result. Other long-term impacts, such as emotional or psychological consequences (5%Note E: Use with caution) were not as commonly experienced.
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Just over six in ten (63%) people in Drummondville lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 7 with three in ten residents (31%) reporting three or four such activities (Table 1.2). One in seven (14%) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- More than half (55%) of residents lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 8 taken in case of an emergency, with one-quarter (25%) living in a household with three or four such measures. About one in seven (15%) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- The majority (98%) of residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and two-thirds (66%) reported that they had a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). About four in ten (38%) residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. One in three (33%) people reported that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- When compared to residents of Quebec overall, there were almost no significant differences in the number of activities or measures engaged in by residents of Drummondville. However, when compared to Canadians living in the 10 provinces, the proportion of people in Drummondville who had not participated in any emergency planning activities was significantly higher (14% versus 8%), while the proportion of people with all four emergency planning activities (11%) and all three fire safety measures (33%) was significantly lower than the Canadian proportions overall (19% and 42%, respectively).Note 9
- In terms of the types of activities and measures people were involved in, some differences were found between residents of Drummondville and residents of Quebec and Canada overall. For example, having an emergency exit plan was less common among residents of Drummondville (38%) than among Quebec residents (46%) and Canadians overall (60%). Similarly, the proportion of those in Drummondville with a working carbon monoxide detector within their homes (38%) was significantly lower than the national proportion (60%).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Half (49%) of residents of Drummondville had a strong sense of belongingNote 10 to their community.
- Three-quarters (77%) of 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 (76%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.Note 12
- More than half of 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 (60%), for help if physically injured (55%) and in case of a home evacuation (52%). About one in five people had a large network of support if financial help was needed (19%), and about one in ten (11%) reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 13
- Generally, there were no significant differences found between those residents of Drummondville who were involved in social or political activities and those who were not, in terms of levels of emergency planning activities, precautionary or fire safety measures (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 | 27 |
Police/law enforcement | 25 |
911 | 18 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 62 |
Local government | 10Note E: Use with caution |
Family | 9Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 66 |
News- Internet | 9Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
Police/law enforcement | 28 |
911 | 26 |
Local government | 18 |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Local government | 47 |
Police/law enforcement | 8Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
Police/law enforcement | 47 |
911 | 26Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrestTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Police/law enforcement | 58 |
911 | 22Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 7Note 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 | Drummondville | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 14Table 1.2, Note ** | 10 | 8 |
1 activity | 23Table 1.2, Note ** | 22 | 17 |
2 activities | 32Table 1.2, Note ** | 26 | 25 |
3 activities | 20Table 1.2, Note *** | 26 | 27 |
4 activities | 11Table 1.2, Note ** | 14 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 15 | 17 | 16 |
1 measure | 27 | 29 | 27 |
2 measures | 30 | 28 | 28 |
3 measures | 17 | 17 | 20 |
4 measures | 8Note 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 | 27Table 1.2, Note ** | 24 | 14 |
2 measures | 37 | 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: | Drummondville | Quebec | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 38Table 1.3, Note *** | 46 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 45 | 40 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 41Table 1.3, Note *** | 34 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 47Table 1.3, Note ** | 51 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 48 | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 46Table 1.3, Note ** | 46 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 37Table 1.3, Note *** | 47 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 68 | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4Table 1.3, Note 6 | 56 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 56 | 58 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 49 | 48 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 22 | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 46Table 1.3, Note * | 38 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 17 | 20 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 98 | 98 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 38Table 1.3, Note ** | 34 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 66 | 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 † | 32 | 27 | 33 |
No | 35Note E: Use with caution | 25Note E: Use with caution | 35Note E: Use with caution |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 34 | 31 | 35 |
No | 30 | 21Note E: Use with caution | 30 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 30Note E: Use with caution | 26Note E: Use with caution | 41Note E: Use with caution |
No | 31 | 26 | 30 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 36 | 25 | 34 |
No | 27 | 26 | 32 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 40 | 32Note E: Use with caution | 41 |
No | 28Table 1.4, Note * | 23 | 29 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 37 | 33 | 37 |
No | 28 | 20Table 1.4, Note * | 30 |
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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