July 9, 2015
Story by Kirsten Goruk
Related Story: AHS staff supporting Saskatchewan evacuees in Cold Lake
The Saskatchewan communities of La Ronge, Air Ronge and Lac La Ronge Indian Band were evacuated on July 4 due to the threat of nearby wildfires. Faced with a crisis, it’s times such as this when people join together and work as a team to support those in need. The Canadian Red Cross is operating the evacuation site at the Energy Centre in Cold Lake, where hundreds of residents were sent. Alberta Health Services (AHS) is working closely with our partners, including the Canadian Red Cross, the City of Cold Lake, and the provincial Governments of both Alberta and Saskatchewan.
While staff work at the clinic on site at the Energy Centre to triage and care for the residents, AHS Public Health Inspector Trinidad is working to ensure there are safe food, and living conditions.
“I have been overseeing and making sure that everything is cleaned and disinfected properly. We want to make sure that we prevent any communicable disease transmission from taking place,” she says.
Norovirus is always a concern in evacuation site environments. Trinidad educated the Energy Centre staff about proper cleaning and disinfection for the toy area and highly touched surfaces and made sure the washrooms are properly stocked with liquid soap and paper towels at all times.
“We want to make sure that people are washing their hands. Also, for any individuals who are diabetic or use other injectable medication, we have sharp disposal so that waste is disposed of properly and safely. We have those on site and people can access those whenever they need to, even if the clinic is closed,” she says.
Another huge aspect of her role involves ensuring safe food preparation, handling and training. The site is feeding hundreds of evacuees three meals a day.
“Even though it’s all high volume and it’s very fast, we can’t take food safety for granted. We need to make sure food safety is at the forefront,” Trinidad says.
Despite the hectic, sometimes non-stop nature of the work, Trinidad is glad for a chance to share her expertise and give back.
“It’s really awesome to be able to help. We talk about this in school, but this is the first time I’ve been involved in an event like this. Everyone I’ve worked with has been amazing and we’re fostering good relationships. I’m working shoulder to shoulder with Health Canada.”
The evacuation site is a prime example of the importance of teamwork, with everyone doing their part. The Cold Lake Primary Care Network (PCN) is also at the ready to step in, share resources and help staff the clinic if necessary. “I think everybody just has a big heart. We’re all concerned and a few weeks ago we were sitting in a similar predicament with the wildfires burning nearby,” says Paula Whynot, Executive Assistant at the PCN.
If and when the request comes in, the PCN will do what they can to support the clinic at the evacuation site and it welcomes any walk-in patients during their clinic hours which vary day-to-day.
“I think it’s good to know that we can give back; we’re always looking for ways to get involved with the community. If we can help people, that’s what we’re here for. We can help take the burden off the emergency room and other services, if we can pitch in, we will,” Whynot says.
