May 3 – 9, 2026
Midhurst/May 1, 2026 – The County of Simcoe is once again reminding residents about the importance of preparing themselves and their families for a wide range of potential emergency situations by observing Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week from May 3 to 9, 2026. EP Week is a federal-provincial-municipal initiative to promote emergency preparedness across Canada.
The theme for Emergency Preparedness (EP) Week 2026 is “Be prepared. Know your risks.”, encouraging Canadians to understand the risks in their area and learn what actions they can take to protect themselves and their household. Take some time this week to prepare for emergencies by knowing your risks, making a plan and build an emergency kit. For more information on the steps to being prepared, or to download a copy of the County of Simcoe Emergency Preparedness Guide, visit simcoe.ca/BePrepared.
“Across Simcoe County, we are vulnerable to many types of unexpected emergencies each year including fires, floods, tornadoes, and even non-environmental events such as cybersecurity attacks. While education occurs all year, we prioritize EP Week each year as a reminder to residents that they should be prepared for unplanned events by having a plan and an emergency kit in their household and exercise caution when online to ensure personal and professional information remains safe and secure.”
Warden Basil Clarke, County of Simcoe
In the spirit of the theme, Be prepared – know your risks, the County encourages residents to check their emergency kits to make sure they have items required for the current season, and that all non-perishables, medications, and other items are up to date, and that the kit ensures your family has adequate supplies for a prolonged power outage. Previous experience shows that by getting or preparing an emergency kit in case of natural disaster, families and individuals are able to reduce the risk and impact, as well as cope better both during and after a major disaster.
Follow @simcoecountyemc on Twitter/X and Emergency Management Simcoe County on Facebook for tips throughout EP Week 2026, and year round.
Simcoe Emergency Response Committee (SERC)
Preparing for emergencies takes planning, coordination and partnerships. In 2005, the County of Simcoe established a committee to bring together emergency managers and response personnel from local municipalities and partner organizations to coordinate emergency planning in the area.
The 2026 SERC Meeting will take place on May 4, 2026 at the County Administration Centre, where participants will learn critical skills for use during emergencies, and participate in a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) workshop. The RPAS workshop will include two landing zones in the County Administration Centre parking lot. Area residents can expect to see various emergency services personnel-operated RPAS operations occurring in the vicinity (including forested areas to the east of the parking lot). These will be operated using appropriate ground and safety protocols following Transport Canada rules.
About the County of Simcoe
County of Simcoe is composed of 16 member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.