My AccountIndividual Planning and Preparedness
Plan and prepare for personal safety and the safety of family members for the first 72 hours following a disaster. Depending on the extent of the crisis, it may take several days before first responders arrive on scene to help.
When a disaster strikes, vital services phones, gas, electricity, or water may also be disrupted. Be prepared to manage without them.
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Creating a 72-hour Emergency Supply Kit
Make sure to prepare and periodically update a basic emergency supply kit. This kit should contain all the supplies you will need in the first 72 hours following a disaster. Keep kits in an easy-to-reach location so they can be quickly retrieved in the event of an emergency.
A basic kit includes:
- A first aid kit and medication.
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio.
- Battery-powered or hand crank flashlight with extra batteries.
- Whistle to signal for help.
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar charger.
- A copy of the household emergency plan.
- Tent or other shelter.
- Emergency reflective blanket.
- Sleeping bags.
- Camp stove and fuel for outdoor use.
- Cooking utensils, pocket knife, and sewing kit.
- Insurance policy information.
- Copies of important documents such as passports, health cards, driver’s licences, and birth certificates.
- Cash in small bills and bank account/credit card information.
- A three-day to one-week supply of non-perishable food and manual can opener.
- Garbage bags, moist towelettes, and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
- Water – four litres per person per day – for three days to one week for drinking and sanitation.
- Water purifying tablets.
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air.
- Seasonal clothing and footwear.
Grab-and-Go Bag
Make a smaller version of an emergency kit to take along in case a disaster requires immediate evacuation. Be sure to store grab-and-go bags in an easy-to-reach space.
A grab-and-go emergency kit should include:
- A phone charger and battery bank.
- A radio.
- A first aid kit.
- A copy of the household emergency plan.
- Seasonal clothing.
- Food and water.
- A Flashlight.
- A whistle.
Creating a Home Fire Escape Plan
The time to escape safely from a typical home fire can be as little as one to two minutes from the moment a smoke alarm sounds. Home escape planning is critical in a fire situation because it ensures everybody in a household knows how to use that small window of time wisely.
An effective escape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. There must always be two ways out of every room – usually through a door and a window – with a clear path to an outside meeting place that is a safe distance from the home.
Additional tips:
- Draw a map of the home with all household members and mark two exits from each room and a path outside from each exit.
- Practice a home fire drill twice a year. Conduct one at night and one during the day with the entire household and practice using different ways out.
- Teach children how to escape on their own in the event an adult cannot be present.
- Make sure home numbers are clearly marked and easy for the fire department to locate.
- Close all doors along the escape route – this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire.
- Never go back inside a burning building. Once outside, remain outside.
