Fact sheet
Community of Chilliwack (CA), British Columbia
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census AgglomerationNote 1 of Chilliwack 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 Chilliwack, 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 (80%), floods (74%) and extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (68%) were named by residents of Chilliwack 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 (62%), and to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease (57%). Residents most commonly stated that they would turn to police or law enforcement if they faced rioting or civil unrest (51%Note E: Use with caution), or an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (30%Note E: Use with caution) (Table 1.1).
- Residents also stated that they anticipated turning to local government if they faced a contamination or shortage of water or food (34%), and to news on the radio if they faced a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (34%) or an industrial or transportation accident (21%Note E: Use with caution).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- Nearly one-quarter (23%) of Chilliwack residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, six in ten (63%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Winter storms which include blizzards and ice storms (36%Note E: Use with caution) and floods (28%Note E: Use with caution) were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster by residents of Chilliwack.
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced major emergencies or disasters included missing work or school (73%), missing an appointment or planned activity (62%), and an inability to use electrical appliances at home (53%Note E: Use with caution). A more severe disruption experienced was an inability to use roads or transportation in the community (52%Note E: Use with caution).
- Two-thirds (67%) of residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event; nearly one-quarter (23%Note E: Use with caution) of whom were able to resume activities in one to two days.
- Six in ten (62%) residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from a family member (37%Note E: Use with caution) or a neighbour (30%Note E: Use with caution).
- One-third (33%Note E: Use with caution) of residents of Chilliwack 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 (75%) of people residing in Chilliwack lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 and more than half (53%) lived in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). Less than one in ten (8%Note E: Use with caution) of people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Two-thirds (66%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, and more than one-third (38%) 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.
- Nearly 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). Six in ten (61%) residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. Almost one-half (48%) of Chilliwack residents stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures in their household.
- The number of emergency planning activities and precautionary measures residents of Chilliwack engaged in did not often differ from residents in British Columbia and Canada’s 10 provinces overall. Residents (26%) were, however, more likely to have all four emergency planning activities in place and less likely to have taken no precautionary measures (10%Note E: Use with caution) compared to Canadians (19% and 16%, respectively). In terms of fire safety measures, residents of Chilliwack were more likely than those in British Columbia to have all three measures in place (48% versus 38%).Note 8
- There were some differences in the types of activities and measures in place by residents of Chilliwack when compared to Canada in general; when significant differences existed, Chilliwack residents were always more likely to have engaged in the activity or measure. For example, Chilliwack residents were more likely to have an emergency exit plan (68%), an alternate heat source (59%), a household emergency supply kit (56%), and an alternate water source (53%) compared to residents of Canada overall (60%, 48%, 47% and 43%, respectively).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Six in ten (60%) residents of Chilliwack had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.
- More than eight in ten (85%) 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.
- 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 (67%), for help if physically injured (63%) and in the event of a home evacuation (61%). Approximately one-third (35%) of residents had a large support network if financial help was needed, and close to one in ten (7%Note E: Use with caution) reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.
- High levels of social support, self-efficacy and civic engagement 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 disasterTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
News- Radio | 34 |
News- Internet | 18 |
Police/law enforcement | 17 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 62 |
News- Radio | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Local government | 8Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 57 |
News- Radio | 16Note E: Use with caution |
News- Internet | 11Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accidentTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
News- Radio | 21Note E: Use with caution |
Police/law enforcement | 19Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 17Note E: Use with caution |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 2 | |
Local government | 34 |
News- Radio | 23Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 12Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threatTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
Police/law enforcement | 30Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 51Note 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 | Chilliwack | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 8Note E: Use with caution | 6 | 8 |
1 activity | 16 | 15 | 17 |
2 activities | 22 | 22 | 25 |
3 activities | 27 | 29 | 27 |
4 activities | 26Table 1.2, Note ** | 25 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 10Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note ** | 13 | 16 |
1 measure | 22 | 24 | 27 |
2 measures | 28 | 27 | 28 |
3 measures | 27Table 1.2, Note ** | 23 | 20 |
4 measures | 11Note 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 | 1Note E: Use with caution | 1 |
1 measure | 10Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note *** | 14 | 14 |
2 measures | 37 | 40 | 38 |
3 measures | 48Table 1.2, Note * | 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: | Chilliwack | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 68Table 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 | 35 | 38 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 51 | 54 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 56Table 1.3, Note ** | 55 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 61 | 58 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 53 | 55 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 71 | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 70 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 64 | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 59Table 1.3, Note ** | 55 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 29Table 1.3, Note *** | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 53Table 1.3, Note ** | 48 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 99Table 1.3, Note * | 95 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detectorTable 1.3, Note 6 | 61Table 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 † | 51 | 37 | 49 |
No | 35Note E: Use with caution | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 31Note E: Use with caution |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 57 | 42 | 52 |
No | 36Table 1.4, Note * | 23Table 1.4, Note * | 38 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note † | 64 | 49 | 60 |
No | 47Table 1.4, Note * | 33Table 1.4, Note * | 43Table 1.4, Note * |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 57 | 42 | 51 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 44 | 30Note E: Use with caution | 40 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note † | 55 | 45 | 50 |
No | 52 | 33 | 44 |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 59 | 40 | 52 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 44Table 1.4, Note * | 32 | 42 |
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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