Canada’s annual Emergency Preparedness Week, which runs May 2 to 8, is a national and provincial awareness campaign that encourages Canadians to ready themselves to protect their families in the event of an unforeseen emergency.
Whether you are a homeowner, live in a condominium, or are a tenant in an apartment building, ensuring your family has drawn up a plan and has the provisions you may need can make all the difference.
According to the Canadian government, approximately 85% of Canadians agree that having an emergency kit is important in ensuring their and their family’s safety, yet only 40% have prepared or bought an emergency kit.
A goal without a plan is but a wish. Having a well-thought-out plan in the event you need to hunker down where you are for a while or evacuate your home is the vital foundation you need to be prepared.
There are a few steps you need to take:
For your evacuation plan, identify two locations your family should gather if need be and the route to take to get there. One place should be near your home, such as a community centre, and one should be a safe place outside of your neighbourhood. If you do evacuate your home, ensure every adult in your household knows how to shut off all of your home’s utilities if you must, including electricity, water, and gas.
It’s also a smart idea to test your emergency plan while maintaining physical distancing during the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Be sure to discuss with each member of your family what they should do in the event of things like a severe storm, power outages, floods, wildfires or any other emergency.
The following items should be included in your emergency survival kit:
Also, be sure to pack all of the above contents in an easy-to-carry bag and refresh the items in your survival kit twice a year, such as food and water.
There are a few websites that can help you get prepared, including:
Protect your family and home by taking the time to prepare and be ready to navigate any emergency that crops up unexpectedly.