Emergencies can happen anywhere at anytime. They can be anything from severe weather, industrial accidents, intentional acts or any other number of things. In order to protect yourself and your family it is critical to have a plan and be prepared—this can seem overwhelming and make it difficult to even know where to begin.
However, there are 4 basic steps to take that will help ensure that you and your family are prepared in the event of an emergency.
- KNOW THE RISKS
Wherever you live, your region may be susceptible to emergency situations such as weather hazards (tornadoes, winter storms, wildfires, flooding), power outages and industrial accidents. You can become familiar which ones are likely to occur in your area by going to the “Know the Risks” section at GetPrepared.ca
- DECIDE ON AN EMERGENCY MEETING PLACE
Make sure that you and your loved ones have determined a place to meet in the event of an emergency. Choose 3 locations: one in your neighborhood, one outside of your neighborhood and one out of town. Then make sure that everyone has a way of getting to these locations.
- MAKE A PLAN
Public Safety Canada has an excellent resource with the Get Prepared: Step-by-Step Online Guide It only takes about 20 minutes to do and once it is complete you will have all of the information that you need to know in the event of an emergency. It’s a good idea to print off as many copies as you need and keep one copy in your emergency kit.
- MAKE OR PURCHASE AN EMERGENCY KIT
In the event of an emergency you may need to be self sufficient for 72 hours, so it is a good idea to have a basic emergency kit in an easy to access location. GetPrepared.ca has a list of basic and additional items to have in your emergency kit in the “Get a Kit” section. You can also purchase one through the Canadian Red Cross
In addition to contacting your local emergency management agency, here are some great information sources to include in your emergency plan:
- Public Safety Canada’s website on emergency preparedness:
- GetPrepared.ca and the mobile version, m.GetPrepared.ca
- Canadian Red Cross:
- Environment Canada:
- John Ambulance:
- The Salvation Army:
- The Canadian Hurricane Center:
- Your local emergency management agency
- Do 1 Thing:
