Fire and Ice

A public service announcement: do you have a working flashlight in your home? Do you know where it is, should things go bump in the night, or there is a power outage, or a fire | earthquake | storm of locusts?

Scene at a recent fire in Vancouver.

An electrical fire knocking out the power and heat in half a downtown high-rise building had members of Vancouver's Emergency Social Services / Disaster Assistance Team respond to provide emergency shelter.

If the answer to the above questions is no, then how about making 2012 the year you make sure you have portable lighting readily available in your home, your office, and your car | bike | rickshaw? Once that's done, then move on to creating | replenishing | stocking up that emergency kit(s) you keep promising you'll look after but never get around to checking off the task from your to-do list.

A resilient community starts with prepared individuals and families.