Hi there,
Last week was both Emergency Preparedness Week and Mental Health Week, two annual events that remind us of the importance of taking time to plan ahead and be conscious of our own and others well-being.
Both of these topics are at the core of personal, business, and community resiliency. As well, emergency preparedness and mental health are key to making progress towards sustainable development, relating to Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health & Wellbeing.
However, building resiliency through emergency preparedness efforts and mental health strategies cannot be our focus just one week of the year. Rather, these events are reminders and encouragement to review the resources available and incorporate them into our ongoing practices.
Here are some key resources to help you and your team be prepared:
Emergency Preparedness Resources
The theme of this year’s Emergency Preparedness Week was “Be Ready for Anything," encouraging Canadians to take action to become better prepared for a range of emergencies.
Residents and employers are encouraged to review the following resources:
- Emergency Preparedness Week Video 2022
- Emergency Management Organizations
- Emergency Preparedness Guide
- Learn about hazards and other emergencies
- Make an emergency plan
- Build an emergency kit
New BC Tourism Emergency Management Framework
In conjunction with Emergency Preparedness Week, the industry-led Tourism Emergency Management Committee (TEMC) has released a new BC Tourism Emergency Management Framework to help reduce the industry’s vulnerabilities and risks and lessen the potentially adverse impacts to visitor experiences during emergencies.
The framework provides a unified structure to support tourism partners and visitors on matters related to the four pillars of emergency management:
- Mitigation
- Preparedness
- Response
- Recovery
The framework also supports the Province of British Columbia’s comprehensive emergency management plans by strengthening integration of visitors and the visitor economy before, during, and after an emergency event. This includes addressing visitors’ unique needs during emergencies, improving tourism industry preparedness, managing long term destination reputation, and reducing economic impact to tourism businesses.
As B.C.’s visitor economy continues to recover from the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a strong need for a coordinated approach to emergency management for the tourism sector, particularly given anticipated future crises such as wildfires, flooding, heat domes, and another pandemic.
View Framework Document →
View Framework One-Pager →
View TIABC Announcement →
Mental Health Resources
The 2022 theme of Mental Health Week was the importance of empathy. When someone is struggling, people tend to offer solutions—or judgment—when what is needed most is empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand how someone feels because you can imagine what it is like to be them and understanding why they may be feeling what they’re feeling.
Empathy is a skill that can be learned, and it’s fundamental to successful relationships at home and in the workplace. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) website, MentalHealthWeek.ca, offers practical advice, articles, and information to help you #GetReal about how to really help by practicing empathy.
go2HR and the CMHA BC division have partnered on an initiative to raise awareness of mental health and wellness in the tourism and hospitality industry.
As a result of this partnership, industry employers, managers, supervisors, and front line workers now have access to industry-specific mental health resources and training including:
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