Tuesday May 3rd, 2011, 10:15am

Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis is inviting the community to get prepared for emergencies by taking the provincial Emergency Preparedness Challenge.  The challenge encourages all Ontarians to learn more about being prepared by visiting the “Be Prepared” website and answering five questions that test your knowledge on this important subject. 

“I’m a strong believer in this initiative,” said Mayor Francis. “Taking a little time to answer these five questions is a great way to get us thinking about situations that can arise without warning and making sure our families are prepared if they occur.”

To take part you can visit the Be Prepared website. The Challenge is offered in four entry categories: children, youth, adults and schools. It is open to all residents of Ontario ages seven and older, and runs until the end of May

“Emergency Preparedness is very important,” said David Fields, Fire Chief and Community Emergency Management Coordinator for Windsor. “Our goal over the next five years is to ensure every household in Windsor is prepared with a 72-hour emergency survival kit and a household emergency plan.”

This week is also Emergency Preparedness Week,  a Canada-wide initiative to increase awareness about individual and family preparedness. One of the goals of Emergency Preparedness Week is to teach the public how to reduce the risks and consequences of an emergency by being better prepared. Throughout the week, Ontario residents are encouraged to identify and learn about risks in their communities and how they can protect themselves.