Fort McMurray is burning. Would you be prepared if it happened here?

What do you take with you if there’s a knock at your door ordering you to evacuate?

About 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray faced a city-wide evacuation this week as a raging wildfire continues to threaten much of that community.

Devising a plan in advance is key, says Naomi Thibault, coordinator for Community Emergency Management for the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

“We don’t want people panicking in these situations. We want you to plan beforehand. When somebody knocks on your door at two o’clock in the morning saying, ‘You need to evacuate now. Get out of your house,’ you don’t have time to go running around your house,” said Thibault.

The week of May 1 to 7 is designated as Emergency Preparedness Week, or EP Week, which happens to coincide with the mass evacuation in Fort McMurray — an estimated 80,000 people have been evacuated.

“That’s about the same size as we are here. Evacuating a whole community would be a lot of work. It’s terrifying,” said Thibault.

Part of EP Week is ensuring that residents put thought into planning for an emergency, including the preparation of a ‘go kit’ — a pre-packed bag close to the door that is ready to go at a moment’s notice with three days rations.

Among the contents of the go kit, Thibault recommends two litres of water per person per day, food, copies of important papers — such as insurance, driver’s licenses and passports — and cash.

“If there’s a power outage, your debit cards and credit cards are pretty much useless,” said Thibault.

She also recommends asking your doctor for an extra seven day supply of medication you have been prescribed.

“If you keep them in places around the house you don’t have time to go looking for them,” Thibault said.

She also recommends a battery or crank-powered radio to listen for emergency broadcasts, as well as a flashlight, candles, matches and first aid kit, among other necessities.

The local emergency response network’s Emergency Preparedness Showcase will be held this Saturday at the Station Mall Wal Mart parking lot from 11 a.m. To 2 p.m, with participation from local fire, police, Red Cross and others.

Additionally, an information booth will be on display Friday at Rome’s Independent Grocer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thibault said every three years the city conducts a Hazard Identification Risk Assessment, or HIRA, to determine likely emergencies the city may face and their potential outcomes.

Forest fire, Thibault said, is lower on the list than flooding, power outages, drinking water-related emergencies and winter weather emergencies.

Thibault previously headed up the city’s Vulnerable Persons Registry and said she wonders if Fort McMurray had a similar program.

“That’s a pretty big job to evacuate 80,000 people. Where do you put that many people?” she said.

The registry, which currently has about 500 registrants, is updated every three months and shared with the local emergency response network only in case of an emergency to ensure the most vulnerable in the community are taken care of.

“It’s pretty important to have something like that in place, we’re lucky here in the Sault,” said Thibault.