The last installment in our #EPWeek tips relate to your personal plan, which is an important final step to take to be prepared and reduce the impact of an emergency on your loved ones.
The community where you live and work can be subject to many different kinds of emergencies - from winter storms, flooding and power outages, to hazardous spills, tornadoes, fires, and earthquakes.
It is vital to have a network of people in place in advance who can provide you with any required assistance you may need, and you should contact your municipal office or emergency service for local contact details as needed. You should also check your insurance coverage for types of risks that might occur in your area. Go to GetPrepared.ca for more resources.
Important information to keep in your emergency kit:
- Home Escape Plan
- Evacuation Plan
- Shelter-in-Place Plan
- On the Road Emergency
- After an Emergency
Contact details to keep in your emergency kit:
- Non-emergency numbers – police, fire, EMS, utilities, transit, weather and road reports
- Nearest relative/emergency contact and number
- Family work & cell phone numbers
- Family out-of-area contact and numbers
- Emergency reunion locations: away from your neighbourhood in the event you cannot return home
Media & Social Media
- In case of emergency, monitor activities via local media outlets for ongoing news, updates and information
- Follow local emergency and non-emergency services online, as well as @PaladinSecurity on Twitter for updates
Don’t forget to have a plan for home healthcare, medications and your pets!
- Include medications in your kit to last at least 72 hours
- Pet Emergency Plan
Where to find weather warning updates?
- Environment Canada: www.weatheroffice.gc.ca or @environmentca
- The Weather Network: www.theweathernetwork.com or @weathernetwork
We cannot control emergency situations, but we can plan ahead! It can be daunting thinking about disaster striking, however it is essential to have plans in place to ensure you come out stronger than before IF these emergencies occur.