The old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” seems to have become the mantra for Calgary Emergency Management Agency (CEMA).
While typically associated with responding to emergency, CEMA has also been working towards mitigating the risks of an emergency.
In its annual report to the Community Services Committee Wednesday at Calgary City Hall, the agency updated the city’s status of emergency preparedness and plans to introduce a risk registry for homeowners.
CEMA chief Tom Sampson says a person will be able to type in their address and look at what risks are immediately around them, “Do I live near a dangerous goods transportation route or am I at risk of flooding where I’m buying a home?”
Sampson said cities in the U.S. already have such a registry in place and he says the intent is to make as much information as possible available to residents.
“Our intent is to publish some of the risks, not in a way to scare anybody. It’s more to inform and allow people to make informed decisions about where they live and about the things that they need to think about.”
Deputy CEMA chief Sue Henry said the information will also include tips on mitigation measures people can take.
“The community is who’s going to do the most of this work for us. The more prepared a single family can be the more prepared we’re going to be in an actual response.”
LISTEN: CEMA chief Tom Samson joins Gord Gillies to explain the online registry coming for Calgary homeowners to consult for possible risks to their property
In a report to the committee Wednesday, according to research from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, every one dollar spent in prevention saves six dollars in recovery costs.
The risk registry is expected to be available later this fall on the city of Calgary website.