Is your family prepared?

Explosions in Toronto. Floods in Quebec. Landslides in B.C. These are uncertain times. Is your family prepared for an environmental emergency? Public Safety Canada shows you how to build an emergency plan to take care of you and your family.

Step One: Know your region
Every region has its own risks. The Canadian Disaster Database contains detailed disaster information on all types of emergencies ranging from natural disasters to blackouts, industrial or transportation accidents. Your provincial and territorial emergency organization (EMOs) is also an excellent resource for regional warnings.

Step Two: Make a plan
The Get Prepared website has a form you can download that will help you complete your plan in just less than 20 minutes. Here are some things to consider when making your plan:

Choose safe exits from your home and neighbourhood. Make sure all family members are familiar with them.

Designate a safe meeting place to reunite – chances are you may not be altogether.

Choose one person to pick up small children at school or daycare.

Choose a contact person nearby or out of town. Make sure everyone knows how to contact them.

Make copies of all personal documents -- healthcards, birth and marriage certificates, passports, licences, wills, land deeds and insurance. Put them in waterproof bags.

Find "pet-friendly" hotels or boarding facilities in advance. Many shelters won’t allow animals.

Get everyone familiar with the locations of your fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical box, gas valve and floor drains.

Once completed, keep your safety plan close at hand. Keep a copy in your car and at work. Practice it with the entire family at least once a year. St John’s also recommends taking a first aid course.

Step Three: Prepare a kit
A good emergency kit should let you be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. Make it easy to carry, organized and easy to find (by everyone in the family) and easy to carry. Consider making a smaller kit for the car as well. Don’t wait for a disaster to pack your kit!

Basic emergency kit:

Water. 2 litres of water per person per day.

Food. Use non-perishable goods such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods. Don’t forget to put pet food into the kit. Replace all food and water once a year.

Manual can opener

A shake flashlight that doesn’t require batteries.

Radio: wind-up radios don’t need batteries. Include extra batteries if you do use battery operated radios.

First aid kit: include prescription medications

Extra car and house keys

Cash in small bills and change along with travellers cheques. Your debit card may not work.

Your emergency plan

An old-fashioned corded telephone since cordless and cell may not work if there is a power outage.

Pre-packaged kits
You can buy kits already made up by the Canadian Red Cross, or jointly by both the St. John Ambulance and Salvation Army. Get Prepared also a listing of retailers selling emergency kits listed by province and territory.

Being evacuated
If you are ordered to evacuate, take your emergency kit, essential medications, copies of prescriptions, essential documents and personal identification and your cell phone. If there’s time call or e-mail your out-of-town contact and leave a note on the door telling other when you left and where you went.

Don’t shut off the water, electricity or natural gas UNLESS instructed to do so by officials. It can take weeks after the emergency to get your natural gas turned back on leaving you without heat and hot water. Take pets with you. Lock your home.

Learn more
Emergency preparedness: www.GetPrepared.ca
Weather: www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca
Safety info: www.safecanada.ca
Canadian Red Cross
St. John Ambulance
Salvation Army

Anne Colvey is a regular contributor to Green Living Online. She isn't prepared for anything.


Tags: emergency, flooding, hurricanestag cloud.