10 emergencies to be prepared for in Burlington

Content Originally Published on:

May 2, 2022 at 12:04 pm

Do you know what to do when faced with an emergency? It’s best to be prepared for a potentially dangerous situation, which is easy to do with Alert Burlington.

Alert Burlington is the City’s primary way of quickly contacting and helping residents whenever an emergency strikes. From stormy weather to floods to road hazards and much more, all types of disasters are covered under this helpful and completely free service.

Here’s how it works: Simply register for the service by providing your name, phone number, and an optional email address. Then, whenever an emergency is possible or has already happened, important messages will be sent by text, email or recorded phone message to all users who live or work within the affected area.

Users can set their preference for receiving alerts by text, voice and/or email, as well as setting which language the messages appear in. You can also add in multiple phone numbers and email addresses to make sure all of your loved ones are covered, whether they live, work, or frequently visit Burlington.

Wondering what kinds of disasters and dangerous situations Alert Burlington might help with? Here are 10 of the biggest emergencies you need to be prepared for:

Cyber attacks.

When cyber attacks happen, your online accounts could be put in jeopardy. These attacks can often happen through websites, cloud computing and storage, intranet, voice over internet protocol (VOIP), social media, web-based applications, internet-connected smart devices, and e-commerce platforms and solutions.

High winds.

High winds can sometimes happen unexpectedly, resulting in widespread power outages and damage to property, trees and buildings.

Severe winter weather.

Living in Canada means we’re no strangers to frequent bouts of severe winter weather, such as large amounts of snow, freezing rain, and extreme cold temperatures. Particularly severe weather can result in cold warnings and dangerous travel conditions.

Infectious disease.

An infectious disease outbreak is a widespread disease or other situation that presents a danger to the health and well-being of others, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi, and the diseases can be contracted from another person.

Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) events.

CBRNE refers to when chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive materials are released with intent to cause harm to humans, property, business or the environment. These materials can be weaponized or non-weaponized.

Flooding.

Urban flooding is always a possibility after periods of heavy rain. Certain areas of Burlington are more susceptible to flooding, particularly low-lying areas, areas around creeks, ponds, and the lake.

Fires and explosions.

Fires are a somewhat common emergency, and can sometimes be paired with explosions in some situations. One important way to be prepared for a fire in your home is to create a fire escape plan and install smoke alarms (one for every floor).

Electrical energy hazards.

An electric energy hazard is the disruption of electrical power generation, transmission or distribution, leading to severe risks. Residents should ensure that each electrical product they plug into an outlet has a certification mark that indicates it has met the Canadian national safety standard.

Erosion.

Erosion is the gradual wearing away and removal of soil or rock particles by water, ice, snow, air, plants, animals, or humans. Eroded sediment or dissolved material may be transported just a few millimetres, or thousands of kilometres.

Transportation emergencies.

Did you know there are over 1,900 kilometres of roads within Burlington? That includes residential, secondary and primary roads as well as Highway 407 and the QEW. There are also several rail lines through Burlington, and Lake Ontario is a major water transportation system. Transportation emergencies can happen at any time, so it’s important to know how to prepare and respond to these incidents.

Alert Burlington’s webpage has more details on all of these emergencies and more, as well as tips on how to be prepared for them – for example, coming up with an emergency plan and stocking up on valuable supplies beforehand.

By signing up to Alert Burlington, you’ll be directly contacted with instructions on how to stay safe whenever such emergencies or disasters happen in the future.

The service is completely free, and all personal information is stored securely on a Canadian based server and never shared with anyone.

To sign up, click here or visit the City’s website for more info.

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