In the event of a disaster...

What do you do?


I lived 10 days without power during Ice Storm '98. We were 3 days sans power in August, 2006 in Muskoka. December, 2008: MTM - no power, no phone, no Internet! 


We put in a generator, which we left behind. A seamless generator that ran off of our propane. It was lovely. We had a tankless water heater. I hope the new home owner appreciates it!

We lost power for 11 minutes the other day. It was a shock. At 8:56 - our lovely taped murder mystery went blank. In Muskoka the power went off regularly. In Lanark County not so much. We casually went to find our flashlights. We use them often, and they are nearby. Usually our granddaughter likes to look for the cats that hide under the bed!


Yesterday's disaster was finding our granddaughter with chicken pox! My poor visiting brother was shocked, as he planned on going back into Musselwhite mine camp in less than a week. 


We all washed hands. 
And tried, politely, to bid farewell. I've had JK/SK students with chicken pox, my own 3 kids had it, and I figure I'm good!

There was a train derailment in Ontario last week. There are evacuations for fires, explosions, and all sorts of reasons.


Recommended Actions:  Emergency Management Ontario

• Quickly select basic clothing, medication, toiletry supplies and other essentials for several days absence.  
• Take your pets with you.  
• Do not pick up family members from schools, daycares and institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes. Plans are in place to protect them. 
• People currently outside this area are advised not to enter this area until further notice. 
• Do not call 911 for information about this emergency. 
• Remain tuned to this station for further information and instructions.

For a trip to the cottage:

Our old home. Ducks were happy the storm quit

• Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day; three-day supply ideal)
• Cash (ATMs and electronic cash registers may not work)
• Cell phone (with nonelectrical charger)
• Warm clothing, jammies and rain gear
• Extra blankets/sleeping bags
• Documents
• driver’s license, passport, birth certificate
• Contact information of friends and family (in a waterproof container)
• Financial inventory (a list of bank and investment accounts, mortgages, and loans, including account numbers and location of original documents)

Spring Flooding

As the weather gets warmer, streams, rivers and creeks can become dangerous. Water levels can rise with the melting snow and falling rain. Keep a safe distance away from moving water and stay informed of flood conditions.

• Preparing for a Flood
• Flood Forecasting
• Flood Management
• Flood Safety

Follow the steps below to ensure that you are ready in the event of an emergency:

• Step 1 : Learn About Hazards in Your Community
• Step 2: Learn How You Will Be Informed Of an Emergency
• Step 3: Develop a Family Emergency Plan
• Step 4: Prepare an Emergency Survival Kit
• Step 5: Prepare Your Pets
• Step 6: Practice and Maintain Your Plan
• Step 7: Learn How to Evacuate
• Step 8: Learn How to “Shelter-In-Place”
• Step 9: Consider any Special Needs

Where there is smoke...

there are pancakes, and Muskoka Lakes firefighters!


I know that some of my followers like equipment, and this is a post for those things!

We had such a nice treat visiting the Milford Bay Firefighters. Friendly folks, raising money.



 They were cooking up a storm. On cookers they had made and/or rebuilt themselves.

Come on, baby, light my fire...





Yes, Milford Bay has female volunteers, too. I know you were asking.


And, yes, he who dies with the most tools wins. They have great equipment.

In Muskoka, of course, you need snowmobiles, special items to get you onto remote roads, because you never know where you have to fight a fire!

Food, coffee, and lots of fun.
These folks word so hard in our communities all over the province.

I bow low in honour!




It was just a few days ago that many of our Bala firefighters were out. They called in another crew from Foote's Bay. Bless them all!

Did you hear them?

Many out at THAT event! There was a fire, and a false alarm, all at the same time.

I feel safe with these young men and women out there.

It is hard to believe that in the 'good old days' they would not allow women to fight fires.

We had great pancakes and sausages! By the time we had arrived, at 1 p.m., they had served 260 people. Well done guys!

Driving Safety in Muskoka

Here are guidelines for drivers in Muskoka, for both happier tourists and townsfolk. Some are specific to Muskoka Lakes, some Ontario.

1. Slow down. Many people are visiting places with which they are unfamiliar, looking for turns that are new. Pass in a safe place. Be careful, somebody out their loves your victim.
   
2. Watch out for those on mechanical and motorbikes. Many like to bike, too many motorbikes like to pass unsafely, on a solid line, but our shoulders are not broad, our bridges narrow. Many have motorized wheelchairs, too.
3. Watch for those working on the highways, and those driving too slow of fast.  Understand that some are driving to work, others are working long days in stores, standing all day, or doing back breaking work for hydro, roads, and other services for which we taxpayers pay. They are repairing the roads for you and me.
4. Pass safely. You do not know what is around the corner. It could be an oncoming car, motorcycle, a truck, or a deer, moose or a bear: Bear Alert. Accidents in Muskoka.
5. Wait while someone turns: you don't know what is coming, a motorcycle crossing left in front of my car, or where you might end up. One guy (left) was in quite a rush to get by me! He just had to go on the gravel on the shoulder to pass. We have more space than in the city, but unpredictable places, with unstable shoulders. You could end up in the ditch.
   
6. Don't idle. You are polluting. It is illegal in several municipalities, and there is no reason not to shut off your engine. It stinks!
7. Penalties: drink and drive. Yes, this is vacation paradise, but the new blood alcohol content driving laws will kill you if the drinking doesn't! [3 dead: Recreation of an accident scene]
8.  When you hear a siren, pull over. It's the law in Ontario.
9. If you see a GREEN FLASHING LIGHT pull over => volunteer firefighter on a call. (It could be your home/cottage!)
   
10. When you see an OPP at the side of the road, pull over to the far lane. It's the law. Failing to move to the left earned him a $490 fineOttawa OPP are cracking down on motorists who fail to move to the left when ... "Be aware of the law, drive carefully and if safe to do so, pull over.
11. Cell phone ban: driving in Ontario. It is against the law to drive and use electronic equipment. According to Canada Safe, banned locales include: Newfoundland, Quebec, Nova Scotia and, now, Ontario.
12. Know your location for a 911 emergency. Cell phones do not always display this information.
13. Before going to the Emergency Room: have these things on hand. (Photocopies are good!)
14. Watch for wildlife: Understand that you will be hurt if you hit a large animal, even a turkey can do damage in a window.
    
    
    
    
    
    • When animals are observed ahead, slow down until safely past them;
    • Search for a second animal, close behind, after the first animal has been passed safely;
    • They like to feed on the edge of a meadow, crossing convenient roadways to find more forage. 
    • Use eye lead time and be aware when you are in an area that has wildlife, especially if signs indicating animal crossing are posted;
    • Do not overdrive your headlights; this will allow you to see an animal.