“The reason I’m here today is to talk about being prepared for an emergency,” said Moose Jaw Canadian Red Cross volunteer and legacy giving Saskatchewan manager Robbie Gamble to a group of senior citizens during a presentation at Timothy Eaton Gardens on Thursday.
Gamble said that in an emergency situation, the elderly are often of great concern, as they tend to have special needs and time plays more a factor in their positive outcome from a bad situation.
However, she said it is important for everyone to know the risks that can impact a person, such as natural disasters, disease, chemical spill and fire.
In the case of a blizzard, for example, Gamble said it is important to be aware such an event can occur when one heads out onto the road. She said it is wise to let people know where one is going, as well as what one’s estimated time of arrival is. She said the Red Cross has a rule of its workers travelling in pairs.
She said a cellphone is a wise thing to keep in a car even if one doesn’t have a cellphone plan. She said any cellphone would be able to call 9-1-1 presuming there is coverage in the area.
Imperative, Gamble said, is for one to stay in one’s vehicle if it gets stuck in a Saskatchewan winter.
“It certainly would be much easier to find you in your car,” she said, adding walking away from a car during a winter storm can be very dangerous, resulting in serious injury or even death.
For more on this story, read an upcoming edition of the Times-Herald.
