The Langley City Emergency Program (LCEP) exists to protect Langley City's citizens, infrastructure, and the environment from emergency events. These initiatives are supported and executed by the City in the following ways:
Creating, reviewing, updating, and testing the City's Emergency Plans
Providing emergency preparedness educational opportunities for those who live and work in Langley City
Administering Emergency Support Services (ESS) to those impacted and/or displaced from their homes during an emergency event
How can you prepare for an emergency
Follow these simple steps to ensure you and your loved ones will be protected in the event of an emergency.
We are here to help. Call 604.514.2820 for assistance.
Step 1: Know Your Hazards
Most common hazards in Langley City include but are not limited to:
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There are two types of fires likely to occur in Langley City: Structural Fires (i.e. condos, townhomes, residential, or commercial buildings) and Wildland Urban Interface Fires (occurs when human developments meet wildland vegetation).
Structural Fires may start due to cooking mishaps, electrical malfunctions, smoking, heating equipment (i.e. space heater). unmonitored candles, neglect to clean the dryer vents after a laundry cycle, or arson.
Langley City also has many parks, forests, wetlands, and farmlands, with an abundance of lush greenery and wildlife. Not far from these locations are urban centres of residential and commercially occupied buildings, which pose a threat to property and life, if ever there was a fire. Wildland Urban Interface Fires can start due to extreme heat and dry conditions but can also be man-made through accidental or deliberate means, such as smoking too close to extremely dry vegetation.
Remember: If you encounter a fire, call 9-1-1 immediately!
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The Nicomekl Flood Plain runs through Langley City, and in fact, "Nicomekl" is Halq'emeylem for "always flooding". Flooding is expected during certain times of the year, however climate change has made Atmospheric Rivers more common, leading to increased flood events in the City. With homes lining the edge of the floodplain, this could easily cause an emergency event.
Climate change is creating more hot weather events that are increasing in duration and intensity. Some consequences of higher-than-normal temperature include:
Hotter days will lead to the drying out of vegetation, which means a loss of agriculture, more intense wildfires, and a longer fire season.
Infrastructure could start to fail, as heatwaves push materials and equipment beyond their temperature thresholds
More heat-related illnesses and deaths will occur as humidity becomes unbearable.
Droughts are defined by a period of dry weather, caused by high temperatures and low rainfall. This lack of rainfall (and lack of snowpack in the winter) creates water shortages in communities. Water shortages have detrimental consequences, such as contributing to failing crops, leading to food shortages and even famine. Droughts will continue to be an ongoing issue in the years to come as the global temperature continues to rise.
Knowing the type of hazards that could occur in Langley City will allow you to better prepare when a disaster strikes. Once you've educated yourself on the hazards, start preparing your emergency plan.
An emergency plan addresses how you and the people you live with will respond to an emergency. A plan should include what to do, where to go, and who to contact if something goes wrong, so you and your family can respond calmly and effectively.
Create your own Household Emergency Plan, which should include information about the inhabitants of the house, including pets, various emergency contacts (i.e. insurance company, doctor's office), health information (ie. allergies, medications), location of household utilities (i.e. electric panel, water and gas valve), emergency kit location(s) and location(s) of basic emergency supplies, and a communication plan.
If a disaster strikes, you need to be ready to evacuate immediately or be prepared to stay put with your essentials. There are two types of emergency kits: a Grab-And-Go Kit and a Household Emergency Kit.
Standard emergency kits require 72 hours of emergency supplies, however it is best to prepare for 7-14 days. While you can buy complete emergency kits online, it is also possible to find the necessary contents to build your own with items from your local drug/grocery store. Once you have your emergency kit ready it should be reviewed annually to make sure expired items are thrown out and supplies are replenished.
Click here to learn more about emergency kits and what to include in yours.
Make a Grab-And-Go Kit for when you need to evacuate. Important supplies to include are:
Food
Water
Hand-held radio(s)
Batteries
Phone charger
First aid kit, and more.
Click here to learn more about emergency kits and what to include in yours.
Create a Household Emergency Kit with all the essential supplies when you need to stay put during an emergency event. Essentials to include are:
Non-perishable food
Water
First aid kit and medications
Toiletries
Cash
Clothing
Identification and insurance papers, and more.
Click here to learn more about emergency kits and what to include in yours.
Become an Emergency Support Services (ESS) Volunteer Responder and support your community!
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Our Emergency Support Services Volunteer Responders support Langley City by providing:
Emergency Support Services: Assisting Langley City residents impacted and/or displaced from their homes by an emergency event with 72 hours of support. Examples of support provided includes but are not limited to food, clothing, and shelter.
Public Education: Providing public education opportunities to support the City's emergency preparedness public education initiatives.
Emergency Communication Services: Testing emergency equipment ahead of a real emergency event.
Exciting news! The Langley Emergency Program (LCEP) is CURRENTLY RECRUITING ESS Volunteer Responders! Support your community by becoming an ESS Volunteer Responder.
Host a condo/townhouse gathering, block party, or strata event to get to know your neighbours, exchange contact information, share community resources, and provide emergency preparedness information. If you have a Community Lead, request the set-up of a large community event.
Create a social media group for your community members to check in on each other and stay informed about what’s going on in the neighbourhood.
Share emergency preparedness information and resources in a common place, either online or in-person (on a shared bulletin board).
Be prepared for an emergency. Below you can find links to resources such as evacuation guides, toolkits, informational videos, and more.
