B.C.'s Emergency Management Kelly Greene says personal preparedness goes such a long way in making sure people and their families can bounce back in the face of emergencies. 

May 4 to 10 is Emergency Preparedness Week across the country, and Greene said it's a great time to think about what your household needs to be prepared for an emergency. 

"We know that in British Columbia, we're facing escalating impacts from climate-fuelled weather events, and so thinking about what you might need for your household like a grab-and-go bag, updating your home insurance, renter's insurance, making sure that you're ready for whatever the year might throw at you," Greene said in an interview with Black Press Media Tuesday (May 6).

Greene said the province is "always ready to respond to emergencies." She added has active emergency information on it and is updated 24 hours a day.

The B.C. government is also testing its emergency alert system Wednesday (May 7) at 1:55 p.m.

"t's important to make sure that our technology is working. And if folks don't get a message on their phone or or hear it on the radio or TV that they're watching, they should make sure that their systems are up to date so that they can get those alerts that help them understand how to keep themselves safe in an emergency."

The test will be sent to all compatible cellphones and will also interrupt radio and television broadcasts. The message will read, "This is a TEST of the B.C. Emergency Alert system. This is ONLY a TEST. In an emergency, this message would tell you what to do to stay safe. This information could save your life. Click for more info: www.emergencyinfobc.ca/test. This is ONLY a TEST. No action is required."

Greene said the alert is tested twice a year in May and November.