Fact sheet
Community of Abbotsford–Mission (CMA), British Columbia
In 2014, information on the emergency preparedness of people living in the Census Metropolitan AreaNote 1 of Abbotsford–Mission was collected through the Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada (SEPR).Note 2 This fact sheet presents information on the risk awareness and level of emergency preparedness of the residents of Abbotsford–Mission, which could help improve the understanding of community resilience in the event of an emergency.Note 3Note 4
Risk awareness and anticipated sources of help in an emergency or disaster
- Earthquakes (84%), extended power outages lasting 24 hours or longer (62%), outbreaks of serious or life-threatening diseases (58%) and wildfires (55%) were named by residents of Abbotsford–Mission as the emergencies or disasters most likely to occur in their community.
- Residents most commonly reported that they would anticipate turning to their utility company in the event of an extended power outage (59%), and to a hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional in the event of an outbreak of a serious or life-threatening disease (51%). Residents most commonly stated that they would turn to police or law enforcement if they faced rioting or civil unrest (44%), or an act of terrorism or terrorist threat (29%Note E: Use with caution) (Table 1.1).
- Residents also stated that they would anticipate turning to news on the radio if they faced an industrial or transportation accident (31%) or a weather-related emergency or natural disaster (30%), and to local government if they faced a contamination or shortage of water or food (30%).
Prior lifetime experience with a major emergency or disasterNote 5
- One in five (19%) Abbotsford–Mission residents have faced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community they were living in at the time of the event, two-thirds (65%) of whom reported experiencing severe disruptions to their daily activities as a result of the event.
- Winter storms which include blizzards and ice storms (28%Note E: Use with caution) were the most commonly experienced emergency or disaster by residents of Abbotsford–Mission.
- The most common types of disruption to daily activities endured by residents who had experienced major emergencies or disasters included missing work or school (66%) and missing an appointment or planned activity (44%Note E: Use with caution). More severe disruptions experienced were an inability to use roads or transportation in the community (40%Note E: Use with caution) and home evacuation (18%Note E: Use with caution).
- Three-quarters (75%) of residents who experienced an emergency or disaster were able to resume their daily activities within one week of the event; close to one-third (31%Note E: Use with caution) of whom returned to their activities in three to five days.
- Just over six in ten (63%) residents who had experienced an emergency or disaster received help during or immediately following the event, most commonly from a family member (51%Note E: Use with caution).
- Approximately one in five (22%Note E: Use with caution) residents of Abbotsford–Mission who experienced a major emergency or disaster in Canada in a community where they were living at the time of the event and which was significant enough to disrupt their regular daily routine also endured a loss of property or financial impact.
Emergency planning, precautionary and fire safety behaviours
- Three-quarters (74%) of people residing in Abbotsford–Mission lived in households that were engaged in at least two emergency planning activities,Note 6 and nearly half (47%) lived in households with three or four such activities (Table 1.2). One in twenty (5%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household that had not participated in any emergency planning activities.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) lived in a household with at least two precautionary measuresNote 7 taken in case of an emergency, and one-third (33%) lived in a household with three or four such measures. Just over one in ten (13%Note E: Use with caution) people lived in a household with no precautionary measures in place.
- Nearly all (99%) residents reported living in a household with a working smoke detector, and nearly two-thirds (64%) reported living in a household with a working fire extinguisher (Table 1.3). More than half (54%) of residents stated that they had a working carbon monoxide detector in their household. More than one-third (36%) of residents of Abbotsford–Mission stated that they had implemented all three fire safety measures in their household.
- The number of emergency planning activities, fire safety and precautionary measures taken by residents of Abbotsford–Mission did not significantly differ from residents in British Columbia. Residents were, however, less likely to have no emergency planning activities (5%Note E: Use with caution) and more likely to have three precautionary measures in place (26%) compared to residents of Canada’s 10 provinces overall (8% and 20%, respectively). In terms of fire safety measures, residents of Abbotsford–Mission were less likely than those in Canada overall to have all three measures in place (36% versus 42%).Note 8
- There were some differences in the types of activities and measures in place by residents of Abbotsford–Mission when compared to British Columbia and Canada in general. For example, Abbotsford–Mission residents were more likely to have an emergency exit plan (68%), an alternate heat source (54%) and an alternate water source (53%) compared to Canadians (60%, 48% and 43%, respectively). Residents (54%) were, however, less likely to have a working carbon monoxide detector compared to residents of Canada (60%). In addition, Abbotsford–Mission residents (99%) were more likely to have a working smoke detector compared to residents of British Columbia (95%), but less likely to have extra copies of important documents (47% versus 55%).
Social networks and sense of belonging
- Approximately half (48%) of residents of Abbotsford–Mission had a strong sense of belongingNote 9 to their community.Note 10
- More than eight in ten (85%) residents described the neighbourhood they lived in as a place where neighbours generally help each other.Note 11 Of those who did not describe their neighbourhood this way, most (78%) still described it as a place where neighbours would help each other in an emergency.Note 12
- The majority of individuals had a large network of support in the event of an emergency or disaster, with more than five people to turn to for emotional support (67%),Note 13 for help if physically injured (62%)Note 14 and in the event of a home evacuation (51%).Note 15 One-quarter (24%) of residents had a large support network if financial help was needed, and one in ten (9%) reported that they had no one to turn to for financial help.Note 16
- High levels of self-efficacy and neighbourhood trust, as well as involvement in political activities, were sometimes associated with a higher level of emergency preparedness (Table 1.4).
Data tables
Most common sources of initial help and information by type of emergency or disaster | percent |
---|---|
Weather-related emergency or natural disasterTable 1.1, Note 1 | |
News- Radio | 30 |
News- Television | 20 |
Family | 19 |
Extended power outages | |
Utility company | 59 |
News- Radio | 13Note E: Use with caution |
Family | 9Note E: Use with caution |
Outbreak of serious or life-threatening disease | |
Hospital, clinic, doctor or other medical professional | 51 |
News- Television | 16 |
News- Radio | 15Note E: Use with caution |
Industrial or transportation accident | |
News- Radio | 31 |
Police/law enforcement | 22 |
News- Television | 22 |
Contamination or shortage of water or foodTable 1.1, Note 2 | |
Local government | 30 |
News- Radio | 21Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 19Note E: Use with caution |
Act of terrorism or terrorist threat | |
Police/law enforcement | 29Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 27Note E: Use with caution |
News- Radio | 25Note E: Use with caution |
Rioting or civil unrest | |
Police/law enforcement | 44 |
News- Radio | 15Note E: Use with caution |
News- Television | 14Note E: Use with caution |
E use with caution
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Number of planning activities, fire safety and precautionary measures taken by residents | Abbotsford–Mission | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Number of emergency planning activities | |||
None | 5Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.2, Note ** | 6 | 8 |
1 activity | 20 | 15 | 17 |
2 activities | 27 | 22 | 25 |
3 activities | 26 | 29 | 27 |
4 activities | 21 | 25 | 19 |
Number of precautionary measures | |||
None | 13Note E: Use with caution | 13 | 16 |
1 measure | 21Table 1.2, Note ** | 24 | 27 |
2 measures | 31 | 27 | 28 |
3 measures | 26Table 1.2, Note ** | 23 | 20 |
4 measures | 7Note E: Use with caution | 8 | 7 |
Number of fire safety measuresTable 1.2, Note 1Table 1.2, Note 2Table 1.2, Note 3 | |||
None | Note F: too unreliable to be published | 1Note E: Use with caution | 1 |
1 measure | 15 | 14 | 14 |
2 measures | 42 | 40 | 38 |
3 measures | 36Table 1.2, Note ** | 38 | 42 |
E use with caution F too unreliable to be published
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Residents whose households were involved in the following: | Abbotsford–Mission | British Columbia | Canada |
---|---|---|---|
percent | |||
Emergency planning activities | |||
Emergency exit plan | 68Table 1.3, Note ** | 71 | 60 |
Exit plan has been practised/reviewed in last 12 monthsTable 1.3, Note 1 | 49 | 49 | 46 |
Designated meeting place for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 38 | 38 | 33 |
Contact plan for household membersTable 1.3, Note 2 | 56 | 54 | 55 |
Household emergency supply kit | 52 | 55 | 47 |
Vehicle emergency supply kitTable 1.3, Note 3 | 57 | 58 | 59 |
Extra copies of important documents | 47Table 1.3, Note * | 55 | 53 |
List of emergency contact numbers | 70 | 68 | 69 |
Plan for meeting special health needsTable 1.3, Note 4 | 55 | 61 | 62 |
Precautionary measures | |||
Wind-up or battery-operated radio | 56 | 59 | 58 |
Alternate heat source | 54Table 1.3, Note ** | 55 | 48 |
Back-up generator | 26 | 22 | 23 |
Alternate water source | 53Table 1.3, Note ** | 48 | 43 |
OtherTable 1.3, Note 5 | 19 | 21 | 21 |
Fire safety measures | |||
Working smoke detector | 99Table 1.3, Note * | 95 | 98 |
Working carbon monoxide detectorTable 1.3, Note 6Table 1.3, Note 7 | 54Table 1.3, Note ** | 52 | 60 |
Working fire extinguisher | 64 | 69 | 66 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Social and political involvement | Percentage of residents who had high or moderately high levels of... | ||
---|---|---|---|
Planning activities | Precautionary measures | Fire safety measures | |
percent | |||
Engagement in political activitiesTable 1.4, Note 1 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 48 | 37 | 37 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 36Note E: Use with caution | 17Note E: Use with cautionTable 1.4, Note * | 40Note E: Use with caution |
High level of civic engagementTable 1.4, Note 2 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 51 | 36 | 34 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 40 | 30 | 42 |
High level of social supportTable 1.4, Note 3 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note 7Table 1.4, Note † | 56 | 43 | 47 |
No | 43 | 30 | 33 |
Strong sense of belonging to communityTable 1.4, Note 4 | |||
YesNote 7Table 1.4, Note † | 51 | 34 | 41 |
No | 42 | 33 | 32 |
High neighbourhood trustTable 1.4, Note 5 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 52 | 33 | 45 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 43 | 34 | 33Table 1.4, Note * |
High level of self-efficacyTable 1.4, Note 6 | |||
YesTable 1.4, Note † | 56 | 41 | 47 |
NoTable 1.4, Note 7 | 39Table 1.4, Note * | 29 | 30Table 1.4, Note * |
E use with caution
Source: Statistics Canada, Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada, 2014. |
Notes
E use with caution
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