The Oak Bay Emergency Program (OBEP) invites the residents of Oak Bay to participate in Emergency Preparedness Week from May 4-10, 2025. This year’s theme is Be Prepared, Know Your Risks. The OBEP encourages residents to use this week to assess your own emergency preparedness, but also to connect with your neighbors to identify those who may need extra support during an emergency.
It starts with you
- Know Your Risks – Understanding your risks is the first step in understanding how to respond effectively when an emergency occurs. See Oak Bay’s Community Risk Assessment for more information about local risks.
- Create a Household Emergency Plan – This is easier than you might think! There are many online resources to help guide you through creating a plan for your family. Step by step guides like this one can help get you started.
- Make an Emergency Kit – The OBEP recommends you create an emergency kit that will allow you to be self-sufficient for a minimum of 7 days, ideally two weeks. This video has great suggestions for what to include in your Emergency Kit!
Get to know your neighbors
Building relationships with the people nearest to you means a better response and recovery.
- Use PreparedBC’s Neighbourhood Guide or Apartments and Condos Guide to begin taking steps on how to plan for your community.
- Consider volunteering for the Oak Bay Emergency Program to assist your family, friends and neighbors respond to and recover from emergencies.
Learn more
The Oak Bay Emergency Program encourages residents to participate in the following activities to learn more about emergency preparedness:
- Attend the Preparedness Starts with You workshop on May 28 from 6:30 – 7:30pm at the Windsor Pavilion Sports Room (2nd floor). Contact obep@oakbay.ca to register for this event.
- Get involved – Volunteer with the Oak Bay Emergency Program! Visit the volunteers page to learn about opportunities!
- Visit sites like PrepareYourself.ca and GetPrepared.gc.ca to learn more about what you can do to empower yourself with the information you need to be prepared to face an emergency in your community!