Be Ready! Campaign Relaunches

The Be Ready! Campaign has officially relaunched with a focus on awareness, knowledge, and confidence in emergency preparedness for individuals and households year-round in the Northwest Territories (NWT).

The revamped campaign includes both immediate preparedness messaging (72 hours) and an added focus on sustained, practical preparedness information. The need for long term preparedness reflects the realities of living in communities that face a range of seasonal and year-round hazards. By providing timely, relevant guidance, the Be Ready! Campaign aims to help residents better understand their role in emergencies and take simple steps to prepare before an emergency happens.

Findings from the 2021 National Risk Profile: Strengthening Canada's All-Hazards Approach to Emergency Management show that 74 per cent of Canadians believe they live in a low-risk area, and only four per cent believe they live in a high-risk area. While nearly all Canadians reported having at least some emergency safety items in their homes, very few have taken all or most of the recommended measures to fully prepare or protect their household. These findings point to a gap between awareness and action - one the Be Ready! Campaign aims to help close.

Each year, the campaign will feature one overarching preparedness theme, supported by smaller and targeted mini campaigns that align with seasonal disaster risks. This structure allows information to be delivered when it is most relevant, while also reinforcing preparedness behaviours throughout the year rather than only during emergency events.

The overarching theme for this year's campaign is Individual and Household Emergency Preparedness. Residents will be encouraged to build emergency kits, make household emergency plans, understand local hazards, and know how to stay informed during an emergency.

Throughout the year, preparedness information and resources will be shared on:

• The GNWT's Be Ready for Emergencies website
• The GNWT's Facebook page
• Public Advertising
• Printed materials and community outreach resources

The Be Ready! Campaign is designed to be inclusive and accessible, supporting individuals, families, and households at all stages of preparedness.

Quote

"The GNWT is committed to improving the emergency management system, and the relaunch of the Be Ready! Campaign is a major milestone in this process. Residents have told us they feel unprepared for the increasing emergencies the NWT is facing. It is my hope that through the improved Be Ready! Campaign, residents will know where to access information before and during an emergency, how to prepare for common hazards in their community, and be ready for major emergencies like wildfires, floods and evacuations. Everyone has a part to play in emergency preparedness, and together we ensure safe residents and communities."

• Vince McKay, Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs

Quick facts

• The Be Ready! Campaign is the GNWT's annual emergency preparedness campaign to encourage NWT residents, businesses, non-governmental organizations, community government and Indigenous governments to prepare for emergencies like floods, wildfires and power outages.
• The GNWT has run the Be Ready! Campaign since 2022
• The Be Ready! Campaign includes National Emergency Preparedness Week in May. Led by the Government of Canada, National Emergency Preparedness Week is a country-wide effort to encourage emergency preparedness at all levels.

Related links

• Be Ready for Emergencies | Municipal and Community Affairs
• National Risk Profile: Strengthening Canada's All-Hazards Approach to Emergency Management
• Get prepared - Canada.ca

For media requests, please contact:

Jay Boast

Senior Communications and Planning Advisor
Department of Municipal and Community Affairs

Government of the Northwest Territories

[email protected]

(867) 767-9162 ext. 21044