123 GO, find out how to get ready for the unforeseeable!

Over the past few years, Ville de Gatineau has developed its expertise in emergency measures. It has suffered three major emergency situations since 2017: two floods and one F3-level tornado. Looking to run a residents' resilience pilot project, the Canadian Red Cross chose Gatineau for the 123 GO program in the Outaouais. The program initially started in 2020, but was delayed until 2021 due to COVID.  

This pilot project was used to introduce tools to raise awareness:

• Video on getting ready for the unforeseeable
  This video aims to raise awareness among residents about the importance of being prepared for a potential disaster. It shows how to prepare the essential tools you will need, such as the emergency plan and the 72-hour kit.
  
  
• Civil security passport – I'm ready!
  In collaboration with Éditions petite mine, Ville de Gatineau and the Red Cross created a civil security passport for children. The passport was handed out to all children in primary schools throughout Gatineau. Close to 27,000 passports were distributed!
  
  
  To order one, write us at securite.civile@gatineau.ca. We would be pleased to send you a copy.

There were several other awareness-raising activities in 2021:

• Day camp – Educational activities
  An educational activities program was developed for pre-school and school-age children. Camp monitors helped with the emergency measures game. A number of fun activities, such as the 7 stages of the survival chain and tag 911 helped raise awareness among close to 1,500 children a week over the summer of 2021.  
• Expo-science booth
  Gatineau's Bureau de la sécurité civile took part in the Expo-sciences de l'Outaouais fair, setting up its own virtual booth to interact with and raise awareness among high-school students about the importance of preparing for disasters.
• Distribution of 72-hour emergency kits
  50 emergency kits will be handed out to organizations that help members of vulnerable communities, to whom they will in turn distribute the kits as needed.
• Support for community outreach agencies
  A workshop-conference was organized for community outreach agencies that are involved in providing emergency assistance. During the workshop, the speaker presented a financial incentive program offered by the Red Cross, along with tools that can be used to develop their emergency measures and business continuity plan.
• La Grande Secousse (known as the Great Shakeup in other provinces)
  Gatineau residents, along with municipal employees, were invited to take part in the Grande Secousse. This annual earthquake readiness exercise provides the opportunity to practice the three key simple moves in case of an earthquake: get down, seek shelter and hang on. The activity helps everyone be better prepared to survive a major earthquake and to quickly recover from it.
• Civil security week
  An awareness campaign about the importance and means of preparing for a disaster ran from May 1 to 7, 2022 as part of civil security week, along with a video.
  
  300 emergency kits were handed out throughout the community as part of a contest. Details will follow in the coming months.