Fact sheet
Community of Saskatoon (CMA), Saskatchewan
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Saskatoon 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 Saskatoon, 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) (97%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (70%), industrial or transportation accidents (66%), droughts (66%) and tornadoes (61%) were named by residents of Saskatoon as the events most likely to occur within their community.
- Residents most commonly anticipated turning to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional as an initial source for help and information if they were faced with an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease (53%), to their utility company during an extended power outage (46%) and to police or law enforcement in the event of rioting or civil unrest (41%) (Table 1.1).
- Residents also anticipated turning to news on the television in the event of an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (34%), to local government if they faced a contamination or shortage of water or food (32%), and to news on the radio in the event of an industrial or transportation accident (32%) or a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (28%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Almost one-third (31%) of Saskatoon residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, nearly two-thirds (64%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Winter storms which include blizzards and ice storms (55%) were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster by residents of Saskatoon. Previous experience with floods (16%Note E: Use with caution), tornadoes (14%Note E: Use with caution) and extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (13%Note E: Use with caution) was also reported.
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced major emergencies or disasters included missing work or school (56%) and missing an appointment or planned activity (50%). More severe disruptions experienced were an inability to use roads or transportation in the community (53%), as well as home evacuations (10%Note E: Use with caution).
- Most (84%) residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event; nearly two-thirds (64%) within two days or less.
- Six in ten (59%) residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from a family member (29%Note E: Use with caution).
- Close to one-quarter (23%Note E: Use with caution) of residents of Saskatoon 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
- Nearly seven in ten (67%) people residing in Saskatoon lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 and four in ten (39%) lived 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.
- One-half (51%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, and less than one-quarter (22%) lived in a household with three or four such measures. One-fifth (19%) of 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 more than three in five (64%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). Nearly three-quarters (72%) of residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. Overall, one-half (50%) of the residents of Saskatoon stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures within their households.
- The number of fire safety and precautionary measures taken by residents of Saskatoon sometimes differed significantly from residents in Saskatchewan and Canada’s 10 provinces in general. For example, residents of Saskatoon (19%) were more likely to have no precautionary measures in place compared to residents of Saskatchewan as a whole (14%). In addition, the proportion of Saskatoon residents who had three precautionary measures in place (15%) was lower than that of Saskatchewan residents (21%) and Canadians (20%). However, residents in Saskatoon were significantly more likely to have all three fire safety measures in place (50%) compared to those in Saskatchewan in general (44%) and Canada more broadly (42%).Note 8
- There were some significant differences in the types of activities and measures set in place by residents of Saskatoon when compared to Saskatchewan and Canada. Residents of Saskatoon were less likely to have an alternate heat source (40%) and a household emergency supply kit (36%) compared to Canadians (48% and 47%, respectively), but they were more likely to have a vehicle emergency supply kit (71%) compared to Canadians (59%). Residents of Saskatoon (37%) were also less likely to have an alternate water source compared to those in Saskatchewan (48%) and Canada (43%).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- More than half (53%) of Saskatoon’s residents had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- Most (87%) 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
- Approximately two-thirds of 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 (68%), for help if physically injured (66%) as well as in case of a home evacuation (62%). Three in ten residents had such a large support network if financial help was needed (30%). However, 9%Note E: Use with caution reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.
- High levels of sense of belonging and self-efficacy, as well as political and civic engagement, 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- Radio | 28 |
News- Internet | 24 |
News- Television | 23 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 46 |
News- Radio | 14 |
News- Internet | 12Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 53 |
News- Internet | 21 |
News- Radio | 18 |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 32 |
News- Internet | 24 |
News- Television | 23 |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Local government | 32 |
News- Radio | 18 |
News- Television | 17 |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
News- Television | 34 |
News- Radio | 31 |
Police/law enforcement | 27Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 41 |
News- Radio | 27Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 26Note 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 | Saskatoon | Saskatchewan | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 10 | 9 | 8 |
1 activity | 19 | 18 | 17 |
2 activities | 28 | 26 | 25 |
3 activities | 23 | 28 | 27 |
4 activities | 16 | 17 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 19Table 1.2, Note * | 14 | 16 |
1 measure | 26 | 25 | 27 |
2 measures | 29 | 28 | 28 |
3 measures | 15Table 1.2, Note *** | 21 | 20 |
4 measures | 7Note 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 | 11Note E: Use with caution | 13 | 14 |
2 measures | 33 | 38 | 38 |
3 measures | 50Table 1.2, Note *** | 44 | 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: | Saskatoon | Saskatchewan | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 56 | 61 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 40 | 45 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 29Table 1.3, Note * | 40 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 53 | 57 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 36Table 1.3, Note ** | 41 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 71Table 1.3, Note ** | 74 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 56 | 52 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 65 | 66 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 57 | 54 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 60 | 58 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 40Table 1.3, Note ** | 44 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 23Table 1.3, Note * | 30 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 37Table 1.3, Note *** | 48 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 18 | 20 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 98 | 98 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detector | 72Table 1.3, Note *** | 66 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 64 | 63 | 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 † | 44 | 25 | 53 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note 8 | 21Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 40Note E: Use with caution |
High level of civic engagementNote 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 48 | 25 | 54 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 9 | 26Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 18Note E: Use with caution | 45 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 49 | 25Note E: Use with caution | 57 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 9 | 36 | 20 | 47 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note † | 48 | 25 | 52 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 9 | 31Table 1.4, Note * | 19Note E: Use with caution | 49 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 42 | 27 | 52 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 9 | 39 | 19Note E: Use with caution | 49 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 46 | 27 | 52 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 9 | 33Table 1.4, Note * | 16Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 49 |
E use with caution F too unreliable to be published
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Notes
E use with caution
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