Workshop aimed at preparing families of emergency responders and military

When military members and first responders are called out of town during an emergency, it can be especially difficult leaving their families behind if their families are not prepared, says Tracy Cromwell, executive director of the Mainland BC Military Family Resource Centre.

The resource centre, a non-profit organization that provides services to Canadian Armed Forces members, is hosting an emergency preparedness information session at the downtown Kelowna library today.

“We’ve decided to put this together as a way to help families of military members or first responders with emergency preparedness,” said Cromwell.

The focus of the session will be on preparing family members for when their loved one has to leave town as part of a deployment.

The session will discuss practical ways to prepare for an emergency, such as creating a 72-hour emergency kit and making sure things are taken care of at home, and it will also discuss ways to prepare emotionally when a loved one is called to duty.

“In order for (military members and first responders) to keep their head in the game and be able to concentrate on their duties, they need to know that their families are OK, too,” said Cromwell. “The emphasis is on how to get the families prepared so when the military member or first responder needs to go, the family is solid and the member can go and do their job and not worry so much about them.”

Emotional preparedness includes stress management, relaxation techniques and how to prepare children for when their family member has to leave, she said.

“Certainly it can’t be great all the time, but I hope there’s a sense of peace and a sense of calm that if they have to go through this, or even if they don’t, just knowing they’re a little bit more prepared in case this does happen, they can feel a little more secure knowing their family is more prepared.”

The free session will be held at the downtown Kelowna library on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Another session will be held Sunday afternoon in Vernon at the library from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.