Tag Archives: disaster preparedness
Green Acres is the Place to be…
Perhaps it’s comes with getting older, but as I reflect back to childhood, I now appreciate some things that I took for granted. Like growing up on a small 300 acre dairy farm — at least small by today’s standards. I never realized the built-in work ethic that came with awaking at 4:45 every morning. […]
Why would anyone want to farm?
Perhaps soon after meeting someone, you are often asked, “What do you do?” My answer used to be complex, but now is relatively simple. “I work in agricultural emergency planning.” Then I usually must further explain that I prepare farmers for emergencies and disaster. That I have combined a background and also education in both […]
Agricultural producers and Natural Hazards – Part 1
These past weeks, I’ve been working with local farmers on emergency planning. Some interesting issues have emerged. It’s not surprising that in our part of British Columbia, Canada, the number one natural threat facing farmers is fire – wildfire and barn fire. Our area contains a patchwork of forests and pasture, with a growing number […]
A Beast….of a Canadian wildfire
I’d like to continue on the theme of wildfire as a threat here in western Canada, because, although it’s only April, we are living it out before our eyes. Widespread fires in northeastern BC and Alberta have erupted. Even international news outlets have reported a fire, called The Beast, in northern Alberta. The 80,000 residents of the oil and […]
Getting from Disasters to Development
Is there a connection between development and disasters? Emphatically yes! The line may not be straight, but the more developed is the country, the less is the impact of disasters. I am speaking mostly of natural disasters, because these seem to be the most frequent events in developed countries. What do we mean by ‘developed’? […]
A look back on 2015 – Natural Disasters
Wow! What a year it has been! Let’s think back a bit on some of the disruptions to people’s lives. After all, this is the essence of a disaster. As you know, we can divide disasters into natural and human-induced. Let’s speak to natural disasters first, and if room allows, we’ll speak to those whose […]
Natural Disasters R Us
Most in North America are turning the clock back this weekend, which gives an extra hour of early morning daylight. Unsure if this is positive or negative, but it got me thinking about how we try to manipulate our natural world, our fragile ecosystems, and our environment. Are we arrogant or what! Disasters can be divided into two basic […]
Observe Shmita! Be Prepared!
In the great scheme of life, I’ve come to realize that I know little about emergency preparedness. And, although a Christian, even less about religion. This may be my only blog that intersects these two, so please bear with me. I work in risk and emergency management. Cycles of emergencies or disasters are well documented…i.e., […]
The Nepal Earthquake
Many of you have heard about the worst earthquake in 80 years to hit Nepal last week on April 25. At this writing, the death toll is >4000 and climbing. Incredible to see the sudden awesome power of human nature, especially in a setting like the Himalayas. We deal with tragedies in our lives, but […]
Training Wheels
I spent most of today assisting in a local mobile medical unit training. The International Red Cross Federation calls it an Emergency Response Unit. The ERU can be deployed worldwide when a disaster occurs. This weeklong exercise takes an enormous amount of time, money, and human effort. The operative word is ‘training’. The question is whether the […]
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