Fact sheet
Community of London (CMA), Ontario
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of London 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 London, 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) (95%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (77%) and heat waves (66%) were named by residents of London as the most likely events to occur within their community.
- Residents most commonly anticipated turning to television news as an initial source for help and information if they were faced with a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (34%), and to radio news in the event of an industrial or transportation accident (36%) (Table 1.1).
- Police or law enforcement was most frequently anticipated as the first source for help or information in a situation of rioting or civil unrest (39%Note E: Use with caution) or in the event of an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (34%). Residents also stated (55%) that hospitals, clinics, doctors and other medical professionals were the most common sources of initial help and information in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease. In the event of a contamination or shortage of water or food, they most frequently said they would seek help from local government (28%), and in the event of an extended power outage, residents would commonly first turn to their utility company (39%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- About four in ten (42%) London residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, almost three-quarters (73%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (61%) and winter storms which include blizzards and ice storms (33%) were the most commonly experienced emergencies or disasters by residents of London.
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced a major emergency or disaster included the inability to use electrical appliances (72%) or to heat or cool their home (56%), as well as missing school or work (63%). More severe disruptions included home evacuations, experienced by 9%Note E: Use with caution of people faced with an emergency, as well as an inability to use roads or transportation within the community (33%) or communicate outside of the home (13%Note E: Use with caution).
- Most (95%) residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event: 28% within 24 hours, 42% in one to two days and 22%Note E: Use with caution in three to five days.
- Almost half (46%) of residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from a neighbour (42%Note E: Use with caution) or family member (22%Note E: Use with caution).
- Less than one in five (17%Note E: Use with caution) residents of London 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
- About three-quarters (76%) of residents in London lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 almost half (47%) lived in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). Few (5%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- About half (52%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, with about one in five (19%) living in a household with three or four such measures. About one in six (16%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- Almost all (99.7%) residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and about three-quarters (77%) reported living in a household with a working carbon monoxide detector (Table 1.3). Nearly two-thirds (64%) stated that they had a working fire extinguisher in their household. Just over half (53%) of the residents of London stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- Generally, the emergency planning, fire safety and precautionary measures of residents of London did not significantly differ from residents of Ontario or Canada’s 10 provinces overall. Residents (5%Note E: Use with caution) were, however, significantly less likely to have taken no emergency planning activities than residents of Ontario (8%) or Canada’s 10 provinces (8%) overall. In addition, London residents (53%) were significantly more likely than Canadians (42%) to have implemented all three fire safety measures.Note 8
- In terms of the types of activities and measures residents engaged in, the proportion of London residents who had an emergency exit plan (72%) or a working smoke detector (99.7%) within their households was significantly higher than for Ontarians or Canadians overall, while the proportion of those who had a household emergency supply kit (38%) or an alternate water source (37%) was lower.
Social networks and sense of belonging
- More than half (55%) of London’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 (90%) 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 (67%), for help if physically injured (65%) as well as in case of a home evacuation (58%). However, fewer residents had a large support network if financial help was needed (26%), and 8%Note E: Use with caution reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 12
- High levels of self-efficacy, social support, as well as civic engagement and 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- Television | 34 |
News- Radio | 31 |
News- Internet | 25 |
Extended power outagesTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Utility company | 39 |
News- Radio | 22 |
Family | 14Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 55 |
News- Internet | 24 |
News- Television | 24 |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 36 |
News- Television | 29 |
News- Internet | 21 |
Contamination or shortage of water or food | |
Local government | 28 |
News- Radio | 27 |
News- Television | 24 |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
Police/law enforcement | 34 |
News- Radio | 29Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 28 |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 39Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 31Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 30Note 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 | London | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 5Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note *** | 8 | 8 |
1 activity | 17 | 16 | 17 |
2 activities | 29 | 25 | 25 |
3 activities | 29 | 28 | 27 |
4 activities | 18 | 21 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 16Note E: Use with caution | 15 | 16 |
1 measure | 30 | 28 | 27 |
2 measures | 33 | 29 | 28 |
3 measures | 13Table 1.2, Note *** | 20 | 20 |
4 measures | 6Note E: Use with caution | 6 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2, Note 1 | |||
None | F | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1 |
1 measure | 11Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note * | 7 | 14 |
2 measures | 32 | 35 | 38 |
3 measures | 53Table 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: | London | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 72Table 1.3, Note *** | 63 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 43 | 47 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 37 | 30 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 56 | 57 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 38Table 1.3, Note *** | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 66 | 62 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 57 | 56 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 71 | 71 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 62 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 58 | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 48 | 46 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 17Table 1.3, Note ** | 20 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 37Table 1.3, Note *** | 44 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 100Table 1.3, Note *** | 99 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 77Table 1.3, Note ** | 80 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 64 | 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 † | 48 | 21 | 59 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note 8 | 42Note E: Use with caution | 19Note E: Use with caution | 37Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 49 | 24 | 61 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note 8 | 41 | 15Note E: Use with caution | 40Table 1.4, Note * |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 60 | 36Note E: Use with caution | 68 |
No | 43Table 1.4, Note * | 13Table 1.4, Note * | 50Table 1.4, Note * |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 52 | 21 | 60 |
No | 40 | 17Note E: Use with caution | 48 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 53 | 24Note E: Use with caution | 55 |
No | 43 | 16Note E: Use with caution | 54 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 57 | 22 | 53 |
No | 38Table 1.4, Note * | 17Note E: Use with caution | 55 |
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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