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How prepared are Pique's readers in case of an emergency?

Poll results show most respondents are at least somewhat prepared
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The Sea to Sky highway makes for a scenic drive, but it's not a place where drivers want to be stranded for hours on end.

Even if it is only mid-May, the potential for summer emergencies is already top of mind for Sea to Sky residents. A state of emergency is currently in place for Alberta as wildfires rage across much of that province, while motorists were stranded for hours on Highway 99 this spring when a series of motorcycle accidents south of Squamish closed the route in both directions on separate occasions. 

With just one road in and out of the resort, Whistler officials tend to take every possible opportunity to reiterate the importance of staying ready in case emergency strikes.

That means keeping your vehicle stocked with food, water, medications, chargers, and something to keep you warm, and having a more robust 72-hour kit stashed away at home. Especially in the warmer months, you may want to consider keeping at least half a tank of gas in your car at all times. You probably already know the drill. But do you follow that advice? 

In light of last week's national Emergency Preparedness Week—and the aforementioned highway closures—we thought we'd check in and see just how many of Pique's readers take the time to pack those extra essentials before hitting the road. 

Pique Newsmagazine polled 188 readers asking the question: Do you carry emergency supplies in your car in case of a highway closure?

The poll ran from May 4 to 12, 2023. Of the 188 respondents, we can determine that 26 votes came from IP addresses within the community.

Turns out, most of those respondents are at least somewhat prepared. More than 35 per cent answered "yes," they always carry a full emergency kit, while almost 41 per cent of respondents said they usually just bring along some snacks and water, at minimum. Only 12 per cent of respondents (and interestingly, none of those 26 local readers) said they never carry emergency supplies. About 11 per cent of respondents conceded they only pack the essentials "once in a while."

If you've been procrastinating putting together your own kit, here's a link to the "grab-and-go guide to getting out" Pique published back in 2019. It includes worksheets, packing lists and a map of Whistler's evacuation zones. (You're welcome.) 

The full poll results are as follows:

Yes—I'm always stocked up with a full emergency kit 38.46 % local, 35.64 % total    
I usually have some snacks, water and maybe a blanket 38.46 % local, 40.96 % total    
Once in a while 23.08 % local, 11.17 % total    
Never 0.00 % local, 12.23 % total    
  Local   Total

Results are based on an online study of adult Pique Newsmagazine readers that are located in Whistler. The margin of error - which measures sample variability - is +/- 7.09%, 19 times out of 20.

Pique Newsmagazine uses a variety of techniques to capture data, detect and prevent fraudulent votes, detect and prevent robots, and filter out non-local and duplicate votes.