British Columbians now have more resources for creating an emergency kit. The Partners in Preparedness program has expanded to include outdoor recreation retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC). 

The Partners in Preparedness program launched in May 2018 as a way to make it easier for people to buy the supplies they need for emergency kits. The program includes a number of retailers, including MEC, that work to highlight and promote recommended emergency kit items.The purpose is to encourage more people to have emergency kits ready, which improves community resilience and public safety.

“We are so fortunate to have MEC join the Partners in Preparedness family,” said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness. “There are now eight B.C. retailers participating in this program, provincewide. This means people in British Columbia now have another option for one-stop shopping for their emergency kits, making it easier for families to be prepared for any situation.”

Partners in Preparedness retailers can customize the program to the specific hazards in their area by choosing to feature one or more of five emergency risks: earthquake, wildfire, flood, power outage and severe weather.

PreparedBC experts will be on-site at MEC to hold Emergency Preparedness Clinic events in Kelowna on Friday, May 10, and in Victoria and Vancouver on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Together with MEC staff, they are hosting a number of clinics between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the fundamentals of emergency preparedness.

Rice announced the expansion of the Partners in Preparedness Program during the Kelowna clinic and will also attend the Victoria event. Everyone is welcome to attend these free clinics. For more information, visit the events section on the PreparedBC Facebook page (listed below).

“We’re thrilled to join the Partners in Preparedness Program,” said David Labistour, CEO of MEC. “We want our members to be informed about the risks they face, whether at home or in the backcountry. Joining with the Province on this important initiative helps raise awareness about the hazards in B.C. and prepares British Columbians for emergencies they may face.”

The Partners in Preparedness program currently includes eight B.C. retailers: MEC, London Drugs, Save-On-Foods, BCAA, SOS Emergency Response Technologies, Tofino Co-op, Total Prepare and Ucluelet Co-op.

Learn More:

Partners in Preparedness: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/preparedbc/public-education-programs/partners-in-preparedness

PreparedBC: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/preparedbc

Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PreparedBC/

Follow on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PreparedBC