Fact sheet
Community of Courtenay (CA), British Columbia
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census AgglomerationNote 1 of Courtenay 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 Courtenay, 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
- Earthquakes (88%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (65%) and wildfires (59%) were named by residents of Courtenay as the events most likely to occur in their community.
- Residents most commonly reported that they would anticipate turning to their utility company in the event of an extended power outage (57%), to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease (54%), and to police or law enforcement in the event of rioting or civil unrest (52%Note E: Use with caution) (Table 1.1).
- Residents also stated that they would anticipate turning to local government if they faced a contamination or shortage of water or food (38%), and to news on the radio if they faced a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (35%), an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (35%Note E: Use with caution) or an industrial or transportation accident (32%Note E: Use with caution).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Three in ten (29%) Courtenay residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, about six in ten (63%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (32%Note E: Use with caution), floods (24%Note E: Use with caution) and winter storms which include blizzards and ice storms (23%Note E: Use with caution) were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster by residents of Courtenay.
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced major emergencies or disasters included an inability to use electrical appliances at home (61%), missing an appointment or planned activity (56%) and missing work or school (52%). More severe disruptions experienced were an inability to use roads or transportation in the community (32%Note E: Use with caution) and home evacuation (28%Note E: Use with caution).
- Eight in ten (79%) residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event: 24%Note E: Use with caution within 24 hours, 26%Note E: Use with caution within one to two days and 22%Note E: Use with caution within three to five days.
- Nearly half (46%) of residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event.
- Approximately one in five (22%Note E: Use with caution) residents of Courtenay 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
- Three-quarters (76%) of people residing in Courtenay lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 and more than half (56%) lived in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). One in twenty (6%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Seven in ten (68%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, and four in ten (41%) lived in a household with three or four such measures. One in ten (10%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- Almost all (99%) residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and three-quarters (76%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). One-half (52%) of residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. Four in ten (41%) residents of Courtenay stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures in their household.
- In general, the number of emergency planning activities, fire safety and precautionary measures taken by residents of Courtenay did not differ significantly from residents in British Columbia and Canada’s 10 provinces overall. One exception included residents of Courtenay (17%) being more likely to have all four precautionary measures in place compared to those in British Columbia (8%) and Canada in general (7%). In addition, Courtenay residents were also more likely to have implemented all four emergency planning activities than residents of Canada (25% versus 19%).Note 8
- There were some significant differences in the types of activities and measures in place by residents of Courtenay when compared to British Columbia and Canada in general, with Courtenay residents typically being more likely to have implemented the activity or measure. For instance, Courtenay residents were more likely to have an alternate heat source (65%), a household emergency supply kit (63%) and an alternate water source (59%) than residents of British Columbia (55%, 55% and 48%, respectively) and Canada (48%, 47% and 43%, respectively).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Over half (57%) of residents of Courtenay had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- Nine in ten (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, almost all (95%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.
- The majority 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 (62%), for help if physically injured (57%) and in the event of a home evacuation (54%). One-quarter (25%) of residents had a large support network if financial help was needed, and 13% reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 11
- High levels of social support, self-efficacy and neighbourhood trust, as well as political 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 | 35 |
News- Internet | 16Note E: Use with caution |
First responders | 16 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 57 |
News- Radio | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Family | 7Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 54 |
News- Radio | 18Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accidentTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
News- Radio | 32Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 22Note E: Use with caution |
Police/law enforcement | 20Note E: Use with caution |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Local government | 38 |
News- Radio | 21Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 13Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
News- Radio | 35Note E: Use with caution |
Police/law enforcement | 33Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 24Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrestTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Police/law enforcement | 52Note 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 | Courtenay | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 6Note E: Use with caution | 6 | 8 |
1 activity | 16 | 15 | 17 |
2 activities | 20 | 22 | 25 |
3 activities | 31 | 29 | 27 |
4 activities | 25Table 1.2, Note ** | 25 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 10Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note ** | 13 | 16 |
1 measure | 21 | 24 | 27 |
2 measures | 27 | 27 | 28 |
3 measures | 24 | 23 | 20 |
4 measures | 17Table 1.2, Note *** | 8 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2, Note 1Table 1.2, Note 2 | |||
None | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1Note E: Use with caution | 1 |
1 measure | 12 | 14 | 14 |
2 measures | 42 | 40 | 38 |
3 measures | 41 | 38 | 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: | Courtenay | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 71Table 1.3, Note ** | 71 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 48 | 49 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 36 | 38 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 51 | 54 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 63Table 1.3, Note *** | 55 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 61 | 58 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 55 | 55 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 62Table 1.3, Note ** | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 54 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 64 | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 65Table 1.3, Note *** | 55 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 26 | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 59Table 1.3, Note *** | 48 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 24 | 21 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 99Table 1.3, Note *** | 95 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detectorTable 1.3, Note 6 | 52Table 1.3, Note ** | 52 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 76Table 1.3, Note *** | 69 | 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 † | 60 | 43 | 45 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note 8 | 39Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 33Note E: Use with caution | F |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 60 | 43 | 42 |
No | 48 | 40 | 42 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 61 | 55 | 45 |
No | 56 | 38Table 1.4, Note * | 42 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 60 | 44 | 43 |
No | 51 | 37 | 39 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 61 | 52 | 43 |
No | 51 | 28Table 1.4, Note * | 39 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 63 | 45 | 44 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 8 | 45Table 1.4, Note * | 35 | 37 |
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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