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Building Community Resilience

Maya Filipovic

Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Public Education (The Be Prepared Program)

November 27, 2024

Alberta Emergency Management Agency

Classification: Protected A

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Alberta Emergency Management Agency

Objective: Alberta is prepared and resilient to the impacts of disasters

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Prevention

Mitigation

Preparedness

Response

Recovery

Classification: Protected A

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A culture shift

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Prevention / Mitigation

Preparedness

Response

Recovery

Creating a culture of preparedness takes a whole of society approach

Classification: Protected A

The Be Prepared program is all about helping people in Alberta prepare for emergencies, using an all-hazards approach. It focuses on educating individuals, families, and communities how to recognize risks, thereby increasing their risk literacy, and make preparedness part of their everyday lives—think of it as building small, practical habits that can make a big difference.

Our ultimate goal? To shift Alberta’s mindset so that being prepared is second nature, creating a culture of preparedness in the province. In the past, many Albertans haven’t prioritized preparedness, often simply because they didn’t have the information they needed. We’re changing that by working closely with organizations like RIE, sharing resources, and keeping the conversation going.

In a nutshell, Be Prepared is all about fostering a disaster-ready and resilient Alberta by encouraging everyone—individuals, communities, organizations—to take proactive steps in reducing risks. It’s a collaborative effort, and we’re excited that all of you are part of creating a safer, more prepared Alberta. By improving disaster risk reduction behaviour, individuals and communities impacted by disasters can mitigate the economic impact, reduce their recovery time, and get back to their lives and their work sooner.

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The Be Prepared team

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Individual, household and community resilience

Research, Analysis & Engagement

Program Development

Communications & Public Education

Strategic Partnerships

Classification: Protected A

Our program is based on four pillars: research and engagement, development of programming, strategic partnerships, and communications and public education. All of these aspects work in tandem to increase disaster risk literacy and to build individual and community resilience to disasters and emergencies.

For example, let’s say we identify that a target audience – let’s go with older adults – need more preparedness information. We’ll conduct qualitative and quantitative research to get a better understanding of what they need, what would resonate, and what resources are available in other jurisdictions that have proven successful.

We’ll conduct engagement to learn either directly from them or the caregivers or seniors’ associations that know them best. Then we will take everything we’ve learned and create new content and programming that serves as a source of truth and is applicable to this audience. After that, we will create communications tools and resources that will resonate – like maybe a toolkit or a fridge magnet.

And lastly, we will communicate these new resources and learnings out to you our partners, with the request that you fan out the information to the older adults and applicable organizations and associations within your networks. We’ll also conduct engagement such as presentations at applicable events to help spread the message even further.

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2024 survey results

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Preparedness perception

57% of respondents feel prepared for an emergency
This perception has remained consistent over the last 4 years

Need more support

Indigenous, First Nation, Métis and Inuit
Low-income households
Newcomers

Top hazards of concern

Power and water outages
Extreme heat

Classification: Protected A

Now that I have given a bit of insight into who The Be Prepared program is I wanted to highlight some of our research outcomes that shows the preparedness status of Albertan’s and what is impacting preparedness actions across the province.

These results give key insights for all of us who are working toward more resilient communities, households, and individuals.

The Preparedness Survey of Albertans (PSofA) was initiated by the Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) in 2021, to measure the preparedness knowledge and actions across the province. The survey results are weighted to reflect age, gender and ethnicity across Alberta. The survey helps the emergency management community understand levels of preparedness, identify potential gaps or weaknesses, and develop strategies to address and better meet the needs of individuals and communities in the province. The survey has engaged a total number of 6,402 participants since inception.

Over the next couple of slides I wanted to highlight a few of the results from this year’s survey to give a clearer picture of the importance of this preparedness work continuing.

As you can see here, we have highlighted a few of the outcomes from this most recent survey. Out of 1535 Albertans surveyed, 57% of them feel they are prepared for an emergency; this figure has stayed relatively stable since 2021. Our data also highlighted that specific communities feel less ready for emergencies, including indigenous communities, low-income households, and newcomers to Canada.

In 2024, one of the hazards that most concerns Albertans is the risk of a Power or Water Outage. This is particularly relevant because, just before the survey, there was a major water main break in Calgary, which might have heightened the awareness around utility disruptions.

So, we’ve reviewed the overall preparedness levels across the province. However, preparedness is also shaped by the specific risks people face in their regions. With that in mind, let’s move to the next slide to explore the key hazards that are top of mind for Albertans in various areas of the province

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Top hazards of concern by emergency management region

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Emergency Management Region	Hazard
Central (C)	Severe Drought
East Central (EC)	Power/Water Outage
North Central (NC)	Extreme Heat
Northeast (NE)	Wildfire
Northwest (NW)	Wildfire
South (S)	Severe Drought
South Central (SC)	Power/Water Outage

Classification: Protected A

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2024 survey motivators and challenges

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Preparedness barriers

Lack of information: Uncertainty about what action to take
Financial limitation: Costs make preparation difficult

Preparedness motivators

Self-reliance: Personal responsibility to stay prepared
Family and child safety: Strong drive to protect loved ones

Classification: Protected A

The survey also highlights what is motivating Albertans’ to be prepared and what might be hindering preparedness action.

The 2024 survey found that the biggest barrier to being prepared is simply not knowing what to do. Without clear, easy-to-find information, people feel stuck and unsure where to start, often leading to inaction.

Money is another big hurdle. Prepping takes some spending, whether it’s on kits, supplies, or home upgrades. For lower-income families, these costs can be tough to manage

On the other hand, those that were surveyed expressed that the sense of personal responsibility to be prepared as well to prepare their children and families is what motivates them to act and be prepared.

These insights are valuable as they allow us to adjust our approach—removing barriers and better supporting what motivates Albertans to incorporate preparedness actions into their daily lives.

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Risk reduction behaviours

Know the risks:�34% of Albertans have learned about risks specific to their community.

Start a conversation:�29% discuss preparedness with their personal networks.

Get informed:�60% proactively seek emergency messaging and updates.

Make a plan:�24% have created a household emergency plan.

Community connections:�23% have a community support system.

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Loved one’s plans:�19% know emergency plans at loved one’s facility.

Insurance coverage:�44% report having adequate insurance for emergencies.

Gather supplies:�43% have sufficient supplies for sheltering in place.

Emergency fund:�40% set aside funds specifically for emergency situations.

Home mitigation:�20% have made improvements to protect their property.

Build a kit:�27% maintain an emergency kit at home.

Preparedness actions to reduce risk!

Classification: Protected A

The Preparedness Survey of Albertan’s shows there are a lot of reasons why people don’t take preparedness action. It can be daunting, and they might not know where to begin. Breaking preparedness down into simple steps or habits as we call them, can make the process more manageable and help Albertan’s be prepared for any kind of hazard that can happen year-round.

Many of you might be familiar with the phrase “know the risks, make a plan, build a kit” but through our research, we have identified additional preparedness behaviours - for a total of 11 - that are integral to a person’s resilience to disruption.

Some of these behaviours include getting informed, creating financial resilience - which is about more than just having money in the bank, insurance is a financial safety net. Another behaviour is making community connections because we know that having a strong network around you is a predictor for resilience. This is a low-cost action that wouldn't be held back by affordability issues. We also encourage folks to start a conversation with their networks which will help take the stigma out of preparedness.

This slide shows all the 11 preparedness actions or Risk reduction behaviors that we measure in our survey, and how many survey respondents are engaging in the behaviours. �

Among these behaviors: the top 3 preparedness actions reported are:

Signing up for emergency public alerts and information
Getting proper insurance
Having an emergency fund

While it is crucial to focus on effective preparedness actions, we must also address the behaviors that are least reported and recognized. A significant oversight is the lack of knowledge about emergency procedures at loved ones’ facilities. This knowledge can be vital during emergencies, ensuring that families can act promptly and effectively. Furthermore, the absence of proactive home improvements can lead to increased vulnerability during an emergency. Lastly, the importance of community connections cannot be overlooked, they are critical for collaborative support during crises, yet many fail to prioritize building these essential relationships.

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Stages of preparedness

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34%

Not thinking about taking action

15%

Thinking about taking action

15%

Starting to

take action

6%

Haven’t taken

action recently

30%

Continuing to

take action

Classification: Protected A

Finally, to round out our findings, let’s examine where Albertans currently fall along the stages of preparedness.

This slide illustrates the stages of preparedness among Albertans in 2024, focusing on those who have considered at least three preparedness actions. We see a staircase-like trend where individuals are at various stages of preparedness. Starting from those who are 'Not Thinking About Taking Action' (34%) to those who are actively 'Continuing to Take Action' (30%), we get a clear view of the population's preparedness spectrum.

The 34% who aren’t thinking about taking action present an opportunity for targeted outreach to raise awareness.

Meanwhile, 15% are on the cusp, considering action but not yet fully engaged.

It’s worth noting that 6% may have previously participated in preparedness activities but have not taken any actions recently, indicating that this group needs re-engagement.

This staged approach reveals key areas where we could focus more resources, particularly in moving those 'Thinking' or 'Starting' into 'Continuing' stages, thus strengthening community resilience overall.

Encouragingly, 45% of respondents have already undertaken 3 or more of these actions, showing that nearly half of respondents are actively working to improve their emergency preparedness.

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Alberta.ca/BePrepared�

19 web pages, maintained by AEMA

Covering various hazards and emergency preparedness best practices

Program is a source of truth

Developed and vetted by subject matter experts
Diverse and inclusive content
Translated (French, Tagalog, Ukrainian, plus more), lower reading level, smart phone and tablet friendly

Alberta.ca/BePrepared

Classification: Protected A

Gleaning from the survey results that one of the primary barriers to preparedness is the lack of information, I wanted to switch gears and touch on the library of resources we have available to all Albertans.

Our team develops emergency preparedness resources to help individuals, organizations, communities, and local authorities across the province. This program is a source of truth developed and vetted by subject matter experts. The program is built for community leaders, such as yourselves; it builds capacity for public education to help increase disaster risk literacy and aid in efforts to motivate non-structural mitigative actions to reduce impacts before an emergency occurs.

In brief the program has 19 web pages on Alberta.ca, and that number continues to grow as new content is developed. We are also in the process of revamping all of our webpages to create a better user experience for visitors. Materials are translated into 10 different languages and content developed to cover a range of hazards.

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Resource Library

Shareable

60 second video series
Infographics
Prompting preparedness message

Printable

QR code posters
Brochures/Factsheets
Fact sheets

Toolkits to build capacity

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Try it now!

Alberta.ca/CommunityPrep

Classification: Protected A

Our library of public education resources can be found on our Community Prep page. The idea is for communities and organizations to take what they need from the catalogue and share it in a way that is meaningful for their specific audiences.

The Be Prepared Program works to provide sharable resources such as 60 second preparedness videos, Printable resources like our QR posters, hazard specific fact sheets and brochures as well as toolkits that are designed in partnership with subject matter experts to provide a preparedness guide for particular areas of focus such as preparedness amongst seniors and Emergency Preparedness week.

I encourage you to spend some time on our webpages to familiarize yourself with the resources we offer and consider how you can use them for your own audiences.

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Leverage communication channels

Add preparedness moments into meetings or events

Share resources via email when topical (ex: when heavy snow fall is expected)

Share 'Get Prepared: 60 Second Emergency Tips' videos

Use social media to share tips and resources

Add links to the Be Prepared program on your website

Include emergency preparedness blurbs in newsletters

Classification: Protected A

Communication channels are excellent platforms to leverage for these resources. This slide includes some ideas for how you could share preparedness resources and messaging into how you communicate information to your networks.

Incorporating preparedness resources into your social media channels, newsletters, emails and other ways your share communications create a constant reminder to your audiences to take preparedness actions in their daily lives.

Another idea to incorporate preparedness into everyday language amongst your organization is to incorporate weekly preparedness moments at the end of a weekly team meeting. Allowing space to start the preparedness conversation and see how others are taking preparedness actions in their daily lives inspires others to do the same. Share things such as what you did to improve our own preparedness like cleaning out gutters to prevent flooding, picking up extra cold medicine to have on hand, backing up critical documents, or making that call to an insurance agent to ensure coverage is still adequate.

By cultivating opportunities to prompt preparedness action we are increasing capacity for preparedness and in turn creating resilience communities, house holds and individuals.

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Communications to support you!

Resilience Builders Network

A quarterly bulletin featuring program updates and ideas on how to use program resources
Seasonal Hazard listings
Invites to future information sessions

Prompting preparedness messages

Prompting Preparedness are bite size preparedness messages you can copy or edit to add local context and share

To sign up, email BePrepared@gov.ab.ca

Classification: Protected A

Our program offers two communication streams to support your efforts to increase disaster risk literacy in the organizations you serve.

The first being our Resilience Builders network which some of you may already be a part of. This is a network of community leaders who share the same desire to see a more resilient Alberta. In short, we initially created the Resilience Builders Network in 2021 with just a small group of individuals who shared a vested interest in emergency preparedness. Now we have a diverse group of nearly 1,000 members that come from various sectors, who are utilizing the program to increase disaster risk literacy in their community. Over time, we have seen tangible results of this network taking the Be Prepared program and sharing it with their community in a way that resonates best with their audience.

The second communication we issue are weekly Prompting preparedness messages. Prompting Preparedness messages are pre-drafted communications that we email weekly to our subscriber list. These messages are topical and can easily be shared by community leaders via email, newsletter, social media, and more.

The convenience of these messages is what makes them successful for our partners. They’re topical, easy to copy and paste, and a simple way to share preparedness messaging with your audiences.

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Thank you

Email beprepared@gov.ab.ca to share feedback and / or

sign up for Be Prepared communications.

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Classification: Protected A