6 Friday, January 24, 2020brooklintowncrier.com North Ward Councillor - By Steve Lee Preparing for Emergencies If, like me, you keep your phone close by at night, you may have been awakened by the emergency alert early on Sunday, Jan. 12. The province had just sent an alert about an emergency at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, erroneously it later turned out. This left many residents question- ing what was going on. There were social media posts and phone calls to find out if the alert was true and, if so, how serious it was. The Town of Whitby takes such emergencies seriously with proto- cols that start the moment some- thing like this happens. It can also activate our Emergency Operations centre where a well-trained team will get information out to emergen- cy response units. No actual emergency That particular morning, the alert was a result of a test sent out on the province's live alert platform, as op- posed to the testing platform, which was unique as there was no actual emergency. This is why the Town's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was not activated. In a real emergency, the EOC would have been activated and the appropriate response begun. In a nuclear emergency, all communi- cations are directed by the province and supported by the region and municipalities. Formal communica- tions from Whitby would only occur after the province sends its official messaging. Review conducted Later, CAO Matthew Gaskell di- rected staff to conduct a review of the Town's response to see if it had identified gaps in the processes. The review was conducted by Whit- by Fire Chief Dave Speed, head of the emergency operations centre, and Senior Manager of Corporate Communications, Erica Botand. The communications team, DEMO and Whitby Fire met to discuss op- portunities to strengthen our proto- cols in non-emergency situations. Chief Speed advised that if this had been a real emergency, Whitby is well-prepared with its nuclear plan. There was also chatter about the KI Pills. Although Brooklin is beyond the 10 km range the pills are distrib- uted to, people were asking where to get them. If radioactive mate- rial did happen to be released from the plant, the province might direct those within a certain range to take the pills. They're available to any- one within 50 km who wants them. Visit www.preparetobesafe.ca. Whitby has thorough emergency plans for many situations with pro- tocols that are practiced and re- viewed. Home plans However, I request everyone review your own emergency plans. For in- stance, what would you do if there was a fire in your home? Do your kids know what to do or the quickest way out? Do they know a second route to get outside? What would you do if, in an ice storm, power was knocked out and you couldn't drive? Would you have enough food? What about heat, water, etc.? It's important to have an idea of what you might do in such situations. I've spoken with Chief Speed and gathered links to help you and your family, including a home escape plan, and a 72-hour kit. Fire Safety and Home Escape Plans for your family: https://www.whitby.ca/en/resi- dents/fire-safety.asp The Region of Durham has a great PDF called "Are You Ready?" which you can download. It's a complete guide to make sure you are ready in case of an emergency in your home. https://www.durham.ca/en/living- here/emergency-preparedness. aspx The Region's 72 Hour Emergency Kit: https://www.durham.ca/en/living- here/emergency-kits.aspx Ontario also has a page listing types of emergencies and how you can be prepared. https://www.ontario.ca/page/ emergency-preparedness A great guy. It's the first thing I think of and the first thing I hear when Troy Scanga is men- tioned. On Sunday, January 5, the Brooklin com- munity along with his family and friends lost a great guy to a battle with cancer. The Scanga family moved to Brooklin in 1985 to a Country Lane, literally. It was before Troy had his long hair and goatee and before Brooklin was swallowed up by urban sprawl. Troy made friends easily. He was known for his love of hockey and the tenac- ity he played with as well as for his passion for his vehicles. His dad opened the local Brook- lin hair-cutting place and Troy followed him into the business. Troy was skilled at his craft and gave you a perfect cut. So nat- urally he expanded to cutting lawns, too. He had his trademark teenager look of long hair and goatee, usually accompanied by cowboy boots. He never wanted to change it, even when his arc- tic blonde highlights grew in. More than anything, Troy had a gift for people. His caring de- meanor and ability to hold a con- versation was second to none. Regardless of your age, inter- actions would leave you feeling good. He could be your local his- torian, sports analyst, mechani- cal advisor, p s y c h o l o g i s t and supportive friend. Troy eventually moved out of town, maintain- ing his business as a strong part of the Brook- lin community. In 1996, the Brooklin Men's Hockey League started and Troy was a fixture from day one. He played in the Original 6 and later in the Mas- ters division as well. His competitive edge and spir- it will always be remembered by those who played with and against him. After a long day of mowing lawns and/or heads, Troy would do a lap around town visiting some of his many friends as he awaited his evening game, and then eventually making the long trek home to Little Britain. Troy was a reliable player and person both on and off the ice. A real solid man. He is remembered for many things. Hockey, cars, motor- cycles, hair or lawn cutting, but more than anything, his quality of character, principles and car- ing nature. Troy, you will truly be missed, but always preserved by fond mem- ories. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Troy "the hair farmer" Scanga, may you rest in peace. A Tribute To Troy Scanga By Tom Quinn A note of thanks to the community, family, friends and cus- tomers of Troy Scanga (The long haired barber of Brooklin) Zach and I are completely overwhelmed and proud of the 'Power of Troy'. Words cannot express our immense gratitude to everyone who came on January 12 to pay tribute to him. Troy touched the hair, hearts and souls of so many. He would be humbled by all who celebrated his life, and supported us through this time. - with heartfel thanks, Sherry & Zach Scanga Sherry, Zach and Troy Scanga What are your favourite moments from 20 Years of The Brooklin Town Crier? Contact Editor Richard Bercuson to let us know! editorofbtc@gmail.com