In the world of emergency preparedness, the question is not if a disaster will strike, but when.
While it is not possible to plan for every type of emergency that could affect us, the City of Côte Saint-Luc is prepared to deal with the most likely scenarios – both natural and man-made – that could affect the city, its residents and visitors and its infrastructure.
The emergency preparedness plan of the City includes three vital groups of participants:
- The City of Côte Saint-Luc, including the Mayor and Council, and employees;
- Regional services, such as the Montreal Police, Montreal Fire Department, Urgences-santé and provincial and federal government;
- YOU, the resident! Each person has a vital role to play in preparing for and mitigating the risks of disaster.
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The risks
The City of Côte Saint-Luc has identified the following to be the most likely risks affecting our territory:
- Major fire
- Train accident or derailment
- Weather-related incidents, such as an extreme snowstorms, icestorms or windstorms, heat or cold spell, etc.
- Public health incident (pandemic or epidemic)
- Power failure during a period of extreme temperature (heat or cold)
- Terrorist activity
- Shortage, absence or contamination of the water supply
- Computer network or communications network outage
- Hazardous materials incident
- Airplane crash
The resources
The following resources are available to respond to emergency large and small that affect Côte Saint-Luc and its residents:
- The City Council adopted an updated robust Emergency Preparedness Plan in 2011. The plan is an all-risk response guidebook, detailing the systems and structures in place to deal with any type of incident. Revised annually by the Emergency Preparedness Committee, the plan has the tools required to manage an emergency large or small. The plan is approved by the Agglomeration level Centre de sécurité civile.
- Côte Saint-Luc Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are a volunteer first responder group that deals with medical emergencies every day and is minded to managing and dealing with these risks. EMS are able to mobilize a group of trained volunteers quickly and can adapt to the demands of the incident.
- Côte Saint-Luc Public Security and volunteer Citizens on Patrol (vCOP) are trained to assist with a wide range of tasks, such as security, traffic control and more. We have an excellent relationship with police and community resources and regularly exchange information on threats and issues affecting the city. Montreal Police Neighbourhood Station 9 and Montreal Fire Department Station 78 are located on the territory of Côte Saint-Luc.
The role you play
In the event of a disaster, the emergency services – police, fire, ambulance, public works – may be unable to reach you or will be assigned to more urgent tasks, such as controlling fires, evacuating people, clearing roads, etc. For the first 72 hours of an emergency, individuals must be prepared to fend for themselves.
You can help increase your preparedness for an emergency by developing two important things:
- Your emergency plan
- Your emergency kit
Your emergency plan should include information on how you and your family will deal with an emergency that affects you. Designate an out-of-town contact person who will be the gathering point for information on anyone affected by the emergency. You should also make plans for temporary accommodations, such as with a friend or relative who doesn’t live in the immediate vicinity. Ask at your place of work, schools, and daycares to find out what their emergency plans are. For example, if you are affected by an emergency and cannot pick up your children from school, who is authorized to pick them up for you?
Your emergency kit can be purchased or made at home. It should be placed in a location that everyone in the family knows and should contain the essentials needed in the case of an emergency. Your emergency kit should contain:
- a copy of your emergency plan
- candles and waterproof matches
- battery-powered or self-powered flashlight with extra batteries
- self-powered radio
- whistle
- extra keys and cash
- notebooks and pencils
- first aid kit
- extra medication, prescriptions and/or glasses
- warm clothing and toiletries
- diapers and wipes for babies
- non-perishable food items, including food for babies
- bottled water (at least 1 litre per adult per day)
- blankets or sleeping bags
- a manual can opener and disposable cutlery
- copies of important documents
- reading materials, deck of cards, etc. to keep the family entertained
- anything you need to care for your pets
It is also a good idea to have an emergency kit in your car (including the items above, booster cables, shovel, snow brush, windshield washer fluid, flares, and road salt).
For more information on self-preparedness, emergency plans and emergency kits, please visit www.GetPrepared.ca.
How to report an emergency
In the event of an emergency always call 9-1-1 immediately from a safe location.
How to stay informed
In the event of an emergency, your best resources are trusted news sources such as a radio station or local newspaper, and official notifications from the City, Police or Fire Department. You can also get up-to-date information from the City’s website, Facebook and X accounts.
In the event of a fire, medical emergency or situation where someone’s life is at risk, call 9-1-1. For non-urgent issues, you can call City Hall at 514-485-6800. Keep in mind that lines may be overwhelmed and information may not be available (e.g. when is the power coming back on?)
CSL Alert
The CSL Alert Mass Notification System allows you to opt in to receive notifications via phone calls, text messages, e-mails and more based on locations you care about. You can choose to receive notifications about events that may affect your home, workplace, family’s schools and more. Visit CSL Alert for more information or to subscribe.
Special considerations
If you or a loved one suffer from reduced mobility, please contact the Montreal Fire Department, which keeps a log of reduced mobility persons. This can be important if your dwelling needs to be evacuated, someone will know to come to help you. You can contact the Montreal Fire Department at 514-280-0868.