Fact sheet
Community of Kingston (CMA), Ontario
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Kingston 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 Kingston, 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 Kingston anticipated winter storms (including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold) (96%) and extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (86%) as the events most likely to occur within their community, followed by heat waves (56%), industrial or transportation accidents (54%) and outbreaks of serious or life-threatening diseases (51%).
- In the event of a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (37%) or an industrial or transportation accident (31%), news on the radio was most commonly named by residents as the first source of information or assistance they would turn to (Table 1.1). Law enforcement was most commonly named as the first source of information or assistance in the event of rioting or civil unrest (41%) or an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (27%Note E: Use with caution).
- Kingston residents most commonly anticipated first turning to their utility company in the event of an extended power outage (41%), to hospitals, clinics, doctors or other medical professionals if faced with an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease (56%), and to their local government in the event of a contamination or shortage of water or food (32%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Three out of five (61%) people living in the community of Kingston have experienced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community where they were living at the time. For most (85%), the emergency or disaster was significant enough to have resulted in severe disruptions to their daily activities.
- Residents who were affected by major emergencies or disasters most commonly experienced winter storms including blizzards and ice storms (79%) followed by extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer, experienced by one in four emergency victims (26%).
- An inability to use electrical appliances was the most common disruption to daily activities experienced by emergency or disaster victims (73%). Missing work or school (69%) or an appointment or a planned activity (67%), and an inability to use water at home to perform routine tasks (59%) were some of the other common disruptions to daily life experienced. Some of the more serious disruptions experienced included home evacuation or the inability to use roads or transportation within the community, each experienced by 31% of emergency victims residing in Kingston.
- Seven in ten (70%) residents who were affected by a major emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event (12%Note E: Use with caution within 24 hours, 15%Note E: Use with caution within one to two days, 30% within three to five days, and 14%Note E: Use with caution within six to seven days).
- More than half (59%) of residents received help from others either during or immediately following the event. Family (32%), neighbours (27%) and friends (23%Note E: Use with caution) were the most common sources of assistance.
- Approximately one in four (27%) residents of Kingston who were affected by major emergencies or disasters experienced a loss of property or financial impact. Other serious or long-term implications were rare.
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Three-quarters (75%) of residents of Kingston lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 with almost half (48%) living in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). A small proportion (5%Note E: Use with caution) of people had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- More than half (58%) of residents lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, with about one-quarter (27%) living in a household with three or four such measures. About one in seven (13%) had no precautionary measures set in place within their homes.
- The majority (99%) of residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, three-quarters (75%) reported that they had a working carbon monoxide detector and two-thirds (65%) stated that they had a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). Half (51%) of residents stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- In terms of the number of emergency planning activities set in place, residents of Kingston (5%Note E: Use with caution) were less likely to have no activities set in place compared to Ontario residents overall (8%) and to Canadians living in the 10 provinces in general (8%). In addition, residents of Kingston were more likely to have taken all three fire safety measures (51%) than Canadians (42%).Note 8
- Significant differences were found between residents of Kingston and Ontario residents overall, as well as Canadians in general, in terms of the types of activities and measures people were involved in. For example, Kingston residents were more likely than both Ontario residents and Canadians in general to have an emergency exit plan (70%, 63% and 60%, respectively), a vehicle emergency supply kit (68%, 62% and 59%, respectively) and an alternate water source (50%, 44% and 43%, respectively). Although the proportion of Kingston residents who had a working carbon monoxide detector (75%) was lower than that of the province overall (80%), this proportion was still significantly higher than that of Canada as a whole (60%).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- About half (52%) of the residents of Kingston had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- The majority (85%) of residents believed their neighbourhood is a place where, in general, neighbours help each other.Note 10 Of those who described their neighbourhood as a place where neighbours generally do not help each other, three-quarters (75%) still believed it is a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.Note 11
- In the event of an emergency or disaster, more than half of residents had large networks of support with more than five people to turn to for emotional support (63%), for help if physically injured (61%) as well as in the event of a home evacuation (56%). About one in four had a large network for financial support in the event of an emergency (24%). However, more than one in ten (12%) reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.
- 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 | |
News- Radio | 37 |
News- Television | 24 |
News- Internet | 22 |
Extended power outagesTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Utility company | 41 |
News- Radio | 20 |
Family | 12 |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 56 |
News- Radio | 21 |
News- Internet | 17Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 31 |
News- Television | 24 |
News- Internet | 23 |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Local government | 32 |
News- Radio | 24 |
News- Internet | 14Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threatTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Police/law enforcement | 27Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 26Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 22Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 41 |
News- Radio | 28Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 22Note E: Use with caution |
Note E: Use with caution 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 | Kingston | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 5Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note *** | 8 | 8 |
1 activity | 19 | 16 | 17 |
2 activities | 27 | 25 | 25 |
3 activities | 26 | 28 | 27 |
4 activities | 22 | 21 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 13 | 15 | 16 |
1 measure | 27 | 28 | 27 |
2 measures | 31 | 29 | 28 |
3 measures | 20 | 20 | 20 |
4 measures | 7Note E: Use with caution | 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 | 10Table 1.2, Note *** | 7 | 14 |
2 measures | 33 | 35 | 38 |
3 measures | 51Table 1.2, Note ** | 53 | 42 |
Note E: Use with caution 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: | Kingston | Ontario | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 70Table 1.3, Note *** | 63 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 46 | 47 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 35 | 30 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 54 | 57 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 46 | 47 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 68Table 1.3, Note *** | 62 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 56 | 56 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 69 | 71 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 62 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 64Table 1.3, Note ** | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 44 | 46 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 21 | 20 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 50Table 1.3, Note *** | 44 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 25 | 22 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 99Table 1.3, Note ** | 99 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 75Table 1.3, Note *** | 80 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 65 | 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 † | 51 | 30 | 54 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 33Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 19Note E: Use with caution | 45 |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 54 | 33 | 54 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 38Table 1.4, Note * | 21Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 49 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 48 | 34 | 62 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 48 | 25 | 49Table 1.4, Note * |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 51 | 27 | 58 |
No | 45 | 28 | 43Table 1.4, Note * |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 54 | 33 | 55 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 43Table 1.4, Note * | 23Table 1.4, Note * | 49 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 54 | 30 | 58 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 40Table 1.4, Note * | 24 | 44Table 1.4, Note * |
Note E: Use with caution use with caution
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Notes
E use with caution
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