Fact sheet
Community of Greater Sudbury (CMA), Ontario
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Greater Sudbury 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 Greater Sudbury, 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) (91%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (77%), wildfires (73%) and industrial or transportation accidents (72%) were named by residents of Greater Sudbury as the most likely events to occur within their community.
- Residents most commonly anticipated turning to news on the radio as an initial source for help and information if they were faced with a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (38%) or an industrial or transportation accident (31%) (Table 1.1).
- Residents also stated (61%) that hospitals, clinics, doctors or other medical professionals were the most commonly anticipated sources of initial help and information in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease, and police or law enforcement during rioting of civil unrest (39%) or an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (34%). In the event of a contamination or shortage of water or food, they most commonly said they would initially seek help from local government (33%), and in the event of an extended power outage, residents frequently anticipated first turning to their utility company (47%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Nearly half (45%) of Greater Sudbury residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, seven in ten (71%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (70%) were the most commonly experienced emergencies or disasters by residents of Greater Sudbury, followed by winter storms (including blizzards and ice storms) (11%Note E: Use with caution) and tornadoes (8%Note E: Use with caution).
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced major emergencies or disasters were an inability to use electrical appliances (75%) and an inability to heat or cool their home (72%). Half of residents who had experienced a major emergency or disaster reported having to miss school or work (49%), or having to boil water for drinking or drink bottled water (49%). More severe disruptions experienced were an inability to use roads or transportation in the community (15%Note E: Use with caution) or communicate outside of the home (15%Note E: Use with caution), as well as home evacuation (13%Note E: Use with caution).
- Most (86%) residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event; six in ten (61%) were able to resume their daily activities in two days or less.
- More than four in ten (43%) residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from family (35%Note E: Use with caution) or neighbours (25%Note E: Use with caution).
- One in three (34%) residents of Greater Sudbury 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. Enduring some sort of long-term emotional or psychological impact was less common (7%Note E: Use with caution).
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Three out of four (75%) people residing in Greater Sudbury lived in a household that was engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 with half (50%) living in a household with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). Nearly one in ten (9%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Over half (58%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, and one-third (33%) lived in a household with three or four such measures. More than one in ten (14%) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- The majority (99.6%) of residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and three-quarters (74%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). Most (85%) residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. Overall, two-thirds (65%) of the residents of Greater Sudbury stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- The number of emergency planning activities and precautionary measures that residents of Greater Sudbury engaged in did not often differ from residents of Ontario or residents of Canada’s 10 provinces. However, those in Greater Sudbury were significantly more likely to have implemented all four precautionary measures (12%), as well as all three fire safety measures (65%) than those in Ontario (6% and 53%, respectively) and Canada (7% and 42%, respectively).Note 8
- There were significant differences in the types of activities and measures set in place by residents of Greater Sudbury when compared to the rest of Ontario and Canada more broadly, with those in Greater Sudbury often being more prepared. For example, the proportion of Greater Sudbury residents who had an emergency exit plan (73%) and a designated meeting place for household members (40%) was significantly higher compared to Ontarians and Canadians. In addition, residents of Greater Sudbury more often reported having a wind-up or battery-operated radio (66%), a back-up generator (33%) and a working fire extinguisher (74%) compared to Ontarians and Canadians.
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Six in ten (60%) residents of Greater Sudbury 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 (87%) 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 (69%), for help if physically injured (67%) as well as in case of a home evacuation (61%). Three in ten residents had such a large support network if financial help was needed (31%). However, 6%Note E: Use with caution reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.
- High levels of sense of belonging, self-efficacy and 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 | |
News- Radio | 38 |
News- Television | 23 |
News- Internet | 17 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 47 |
News- Radio | 21 |
Family | 12Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 61 |
News- Radio | 20 |
News- Television | 19 |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 31 |
News- Television | 22 |
Police/law enforcement | 18 |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodNote 1 | |
Local government | 33 |
News- Radio | 19 |
News- Television | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threatNote 1 | |
Police/law enforcement | 34 |
News- Television | 32 |
News- Radio | 26Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 39 |
News- Television | 23Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 22Note 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 | Greater Sudbury | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 9Note E: Use with caution | 8 | 8 |
1 activity | 14 | 16 | 17 |
2 activities | 25 | 25 | 25 |
3 activities | 29 | 28 | 27 |
4 activities | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 14 | 15 | 16 |
1 measure | 25 | 28 | 27 |
2 measures | 25 | 29 | 28 |
3 measures | 21 | 20 | 20 |
4 measures | 12Table 1.2 Note *** | 6 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2 Note 1 | |||
None | Note F: too unreliable to be published | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1 |
1 measure | 5Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2 Note ** | 7 | 14 |
2 measures | 27Table 1.2 Note *** | 35 | 38 |
3 measures | 65Table 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: | Greater Sudbury | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 73Table 1.3 Note *** | 63 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3 Note 1 | 50 | 47 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3 Note 2 | 40Table 1.3 Note *** | 30 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3 Note 2 | 59 | 57 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 50 | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3 Note 3 | 70Table 1.3 Note ** | 62 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 53 | 56 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 60Table 1.3 Note *** | 71 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3 Note 4 | 68 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 66Table 1.3 Note *** | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 44 | 46 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 33Table 1.3 Note *** | 20 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 44 | 44 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3 Note 5 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 100Table 1.3 Note *** | 99 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 85Table 1.3 Note *** | 80 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 74Table 1.3 Note *** | 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 † | 52 | 33 | 64 |
NoTable 1.4 Note 7 | 36Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4 Note * | 29Note E: Use with caution | 66 |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4 Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4 Note † | 56 | 35 | 69 |
No | 37Table 1.4 Note * | 27 | 57Table 1.4 Note * |
High level of social supportTable 1.4 Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4 Note † | 53 | 34 | 75 |
No | 48 | 32 | 62Table 1.4 Note * |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4 Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4 Note † | 56 | 35 | 70 |
No | 40Table 1.4 Note * | 31 | 58Table 1.4 Note * |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4 Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4 Note † | 54 | 38 | 70 |
No | 47 | 30 | 63 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4 Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4 Note † | 59 | 38 | 71 |
No | 38Table 1.4 Note * | 28 | 58Table 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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