Emergency Preparedness

We have a community Emergency Response Plan in place for the coordination and implementation of all required services in the event of an emergency. The Emergency Response Plan will also be implemented in situations where resources are called upon to assist other municipalities in need of emergency assistance. If you require a copy of the Town's Emergency Response Plan, please call the Emergency Services Department at 613-354-3351.

Who maintains the plan? 

We have a committee consisting of the Mayor, CAO, Community Emergency Management Coordinator and one community liaison person who do a yearly review of the plan as well as any community risks.

Testing the plan 

Our Emergency Plan is tested yearly with an Emergency Management exercise to ensure that it works according to the plan

Training 

Town Staff receive at least eight hours of training yearly on Emergencies and the Emergency Plan.

We were successful in achieving compliance for the Province of Ontario in Emergency Management.

Every household needs an emergency plan. It will help you and your families know what to do if disaster strikes. We should all practice what to do in different emergency situations. Please view the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services for information on an Emergency Preparedness Action Plan.

Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in an emergency. During an emergency, we may need to get by without power or tap water. We will all need some basic supplies. Please take a look at what to put in your 72 Hour Emergency Kit:

Essentials

• Food (non-perishable and easy-to-prepare items, enough for 3 days) and a manual can opener
• Bottled water (4 litres per person for each day)
• Medications
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• Radio (crank or battery-run)
• First-Aid Kit
• Candles and matches/lighter
• Hand sanitizer or moist towelettes
• Important papers (identification, contact lists, copies of prescriptions, etc.)
• Extra car keys and cash
• Whistle (to attract attention, if needed)
• Zip-lock bags to keep things dry
• Garbage bags

Special Considerations

• Items for babies and small children - diapers, formula, bottles, comfort items
• Prescription medication
• Pet food and supplies
• Any other items specific to your family's needs

Extra Supplies for Evacuation 

• Clothing, shoes
• Sleeping bags or blankets
• Personal items (soap, toothpaste, shampoo, comb, other toiletries)
• Playing cards, travel games, other activities for children

Additional Tips

• Pack the contents of your kit in an easy-to-carry bag or a case on wheels
• Store your kit in a place that's easy to reach, and everyone knows where it is
• Your water supply is meant to cover what you would drink as well as what you might need for food preparation, hygiene and dishwashing
• Check and refresh your kit twice a year - when the clocks shift to/from daylight savings is a good time
• Check all expiry dates and replace food and water with a fresh supply
• Check batteries and replace as needed
• Keep your cell phone or mobile device fully charged

During an emergency, you should stay tuned to local news channels, radio, Greater Napanee’s social media feeds and www.greaternapanee.com.

Sign up for Ontario’s emergency alerts! Red Alerts and Emergency Advisories quickly deliver information on threats or emergencies that have occurred via email or text message, and include information on how to keep you and your family safe!

Emergency Alerts will automatically notify on radio, television and cell phone devices for events like natural disasters, extreme weather and terrorist attacks.

When these messages are sent they are urgent, life-threatening, and the requirement for you is to take action!

It is important to familiarize yourself with the Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities & Special Needs. Please contact Emergency Services at 613-354-3351 for a copy of our Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities & Special Needs. For more information on Accessibility, please see our Accessibility page.

You can learn more about flood forecasting and flood warnings in the area by visiting the Cataraqui Conservation Authority website and/or the Quinte Conservation website.

If you have concerns about potential flooding due to the rising water levels please contact the Emergency Services Department at 613-354-3351 or fill out the Town's Report an Issue form. The Town of Greater Napanee does not provide sandbags, but both Battlefield Equipment Rentals and Home Hardware in Napanee carry sand bags. 

Report a Flooding Issue

You can find information on potential droughts in the area by visiting the Quinte Conservation website.

The Cataraqui Region Authority website offers information on low water resources during a time of drought.

Tornado facts

• Tornadoes are rotating columns of high winds.
• Sometimes they move quickly (up to 70 km/hour) and leave a long, wide path of destruction. At other times the tornado is small, touching down here and there.
• Large or small, they can uproot trees, flip cars and demolish houses.
• Tornadoes usually hit in the afternoon and early evening, but they have been known to strike at night too.

Warning signs of a potential tornado

Warning signs include:

• Severe thunderstorms, with frequent thunder and lightning.
• An extremely dark sky, sometimes highlighted by green or yellow clouds.
• A rumbling sound or a whistling sound.
• A funnel cloud at the rear base of a thundercloud, often behind a curtain of heavy rain or hail.

Canada's tornado warning system:

Environment Canada is responsible for warning the public when conditions exist that may produce tornadoes. It does this through radio, television, newspapers, its internet site, as well as through its weather phone lines.

If you live in one of Canada's high-risk areas, you should listen to your radio during severe thunderstorms.

During a tornado

If you are in a house:

• Go to the basement or take shelter in a small interior ground floor room such as a bathroom, closet or hallway.
• If you have no basement, protect yourself by taking shelter under a heavy table or desk.
• In all cases, stay away from windows, outside walls and doors.

If you live on a farm:

• Livestock hear and sense impending tornadoes. If your family or home is at risk, the livestock will be a non-issue. If your personal safety is not an issue, you may only have time to open routes of escape for your livestock. Open the gate, if you must, and then exit the area in a tangent direction away from the expected path of the twister.

If you are in an office or apartment building:

• Take shelter in an inner hallway or room, ideally in the basement or on the ground floor.
• Do not use the elevator.
• Stay away from windows.

If you are in a gymnasium, church or auditorium:

• Large buildings with wide-span roofs may collapse if a tornado hits.
• If possible, find shelter in another building.
• If you are in one of these buildings and cannot leave, take cover under a sturdy structure such as a table or desk.

If you are driving:

• If you spot a tornado in the distance go to the nearest solid shelter.
• If the tornado is close, get out of your car and take cover in a low-lying area, such as a ditch.

Avoid cars and mobile homes

• More than half of all deaths from tornadoes happen in mobile homes.
• Find shelter elsewhere, preferably in a building with a strong foundation.
• If no shelter is available, lie down in a ditch away from the car or mobile home. Beware of flooding from downpours and be prepared to move.

In all cases

• Get as close to the ground as possible, protect your head and watch for flying debris.
• Do not chase tornadoes - they are unpredictable and can change course abruptly.
• A tornado is deceptive. It may appear to be standing still but is, in fact, moving toward you.