A nonprofit organization that recently moved to Red Deer showcased the need to be prepared in case of an emergency during a recent information session.
Bridges of Love hosted the session at its office new office space in the city on the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 29. Attendees learned how to build a 72-hour emergency kit, and were able to connect with emergency preparedness experts, while exploring resources like Community Emergency Response Team kits and first aid supplies.
"We're trying to get people better prepared to look after themselves, their families and communities during a major disaster," said Marg Pollon, founding executive director of Bridges of Love.
"We know there's a gap in between the time of disaster and the time emergency responders come to the scene. Those responders can't get to everywhere at one time."
"We don't know when a disaster is going to hit. ... Times are changing, climate's changing. We're having more severe and more frequent disasters. We're trying to get people to do simple things, like putting together a 72-hour kit. We want people to take a look at what plan they have in place, who their emergency contacts are and if they have a to-go bag to take if they have to leave their homes quickly."
Bridges of Love was created 22 years ago in Calgary to put a spotlight on emergency preparedness.
"It actually started with a focus on pandemic preparedness," said Pollon.
"In 2005, we started to gather and mobilize churches to respond to the community in the event of a pandemic."
The organization was located at a church in Calgary for 15 years. That building was eventually sold, so Bridges of Love relocated to High River, Alta., which was the organization's home for five years. It has been in Red Deer for about six months.
"We wanted to find a central location," said Pollon.
"We respond to all of Alberta, so we thought, 'What better place to relocate to Red Deer?' Right now we're trying to raise awareness for who we are and build trust with the community."
Bridges of Love operates a few different initiatives, Pollon noted.
"The Faith Emergency Preparedness Initiative tries to get churches to respond to the community in case of a disaster. We also have Community Emergency Response Team training, which helps individuals be better prepared. We also have Alberta Recovers, which is an online donation management program," she said.
For more information on the nonprofit organization, visit www.bridgesoflove.net.
