Establish a personal support network of friends, relatives, health-care providers, co-workers and neighbours who understand your special needs.

Write down details about:

• Accommodation needs
• Insurance information
• Allergies
• Medical conditions
• Emergency contacts
• Medication
• Family medical history
• Recent vaccinations
• Health screenings
• Surgeries

Keep a copy of this information in your emergency kit, and give a copy to your personal support network.

Talk to your doctor about preparing a grab-and-go bag, if possible, with a two-week supply of medication and medical supplies. Include prescriptions and medical documents. Remember that pharmacies may be closed for some time, even after an emergency is over.

We rely on technology more and more to keep in touch with our family, friends, and colleagues with a click of a button. But what happens in the event of a major emergency? Suddenly these tools can become vital in helping you and your family deal get in touch and stay informed. So here are some tips on the use of technology in an emergency:

• If possible, use non-voice channels like text messaging, email or social media. These use less bandwidth than voice communications and may work even when phone service doesn’t.
• If you must use a phone, keep your conversation brief and convey only vital information to emergency personnel and/or family. This will also conserve your phone’s battery.
• Unable to complete a call? Wait 10 seconds before redialing to help reduce network congestion. Note, cordless phones rely on electricity and will not work during a power outage. If you have a landline, keep at least one corded phone in your home.
• Keep a charger for your mobile device in your emergency kit. Consider getting a solar-powered, crank, or vehicle phone charger. If you don’t have a cell phone, keep a prepaid phone card in your emergency kit.
• Keep your contacts up to date on your phone, email and other channels. This will make it easier to reach important contacts, such as friends, family, neighbours, child’s school, or insurance agent.
• If you have a smartphone, save your safe meeting location(s) on its mapping application.
• Conserve your smartphone’s battery by reducing the screen’s brightness, placing your phone in airplane mode, and closing apps you are not using. You never know how long a power outage will last!

Remember, in an emergency or to save a life, call 9-1-1 for help. You cannot currently text 9-1-1. If you are not experiencing an emergency, do not call 9-1-1. If your area offers 3-1-1 service or another information system, call that number for non-emergencies.

Emergency Best Practices

• Call 9-1-1 (where available) to report a fire, a crime or to save a life.
• For non-emergency calls, use the ten-digit numbers listed in your local phone book, or this emergency plan, for police, fire and other health services.
• When notifying emergency services of your location, provide the exact street or civic address and nearest intersection.
• For the gas and water valves, keep shut-off instructions close by and read them carefully.

In an emergency

• Follow your emergency plan.
• Get your emergency kit.
• Make sure you are safe before assisting others.
• Listen to the radio or television for information from authorities. Local officials may advise you to stay where you are. Follow their instructions.
• Stay put until all is safe or until you are ordered to evacuate.

Our Voyent Alert system will help you stay informed in case of an evacuation. You can also check our Facebook page for updates, including the location of evacuation centres and information about when it is safe to return home.

You will not be asked to leave your home unless authorities have reason to believe that you may be in danger.

If you are ordered to evacuate, take your emergency kit, your wallet, personal identification for each family member and copies of essential family documents with you. Bring a cellular phone and spare battery or charger with you, if you have one. Use travel routes specified by local authorities.

If you have time, call or e-mail your out-of-town contact. Tell them where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Once you are safe, let them know. Tell them if any family members have become separated.

If possible, leave a note telling others when you left and where you are. Shut off water and electricity if officials tell you to do so.

Leave natural gas service on unless officials tell you to turn it off. If you turn off the gas, the gas company has to reconnect it. In a major emergency, it could take weeks for a professional to respond.

Take pets with you. Lock your home. Follow instructions from authorities.

If you go to an evacuation centre, register your personal information at the registration desk. Do not return home until authorities advise that it is safe to do so.

Emergency exits

Draw up a floor plan of your home that shows all possible exits from each room. Plan a main exit route and an alternate exit route from each room. If you live in an apartment, plan to use the stairs instead of the elevators. If you are unable to use the stairs, notify emergency personnel ahead of time. Also, identify an evacuation route from your neighbourhood in case you need to leave in a hurry (and think of more than one option).

Meeting places

Identify safe places where everyone should meet if you cannot go home or you need to evacuate.

Children

Ask your children’s school or daycare about their emergency policies. Find out how they will contact families during an emergency.

Find out what type of authorization the school or daycare requires to release your children to a designated person if you can’t pick them up.

Make sure the school or daycare has updated contact information for parents, caregivers and designated persons.

Plan for pets

In case of an evacuation, remember that pets are not allowed in some public shelters or hotels. In case of an evacuation, prepare to take your pets with you to the home of a relative or friend, or take steps to identify pet-friendly hotels or pet boarding facilities in your area and further away from home.

Make copies of important documents

Make copies of birth and marriage certificates, passports, licences, wills, land deeds and insurance. Take photos of family members in case a lost persons record is created. Keep them in a safe place, both inside and outside your home. You might want to put them in a safety deposit box or give them to friends and family who live out of town.

Safe home instructions

Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector, smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and well-stocked first aid kit. If you live in an apartment, or if you are staying in a hotel, know where the fire alarms and at least two emergency exits are located.

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every level of your home, including one in your kitchen. Everyone in your home should know where to find the fire extinguishers. All capable adults and older children should know how to use it. See instructions regarding the lifetime of your fire extinguisher and check with your local fire department for more information.

Older children and adults should know how to turn off your home’s water, electricity and gas. Make large, easy-to-see signs for water and gas shut-offs as well as for the electrical panel.

Teach children how and when to dial 9-1-1 as well as how to call the designated out-of-town contact.

Limit phone calls to urgent messages only. Keep calls short to free up the lines for others.

Neighbourhood safety plan

Work with your neighbours to identify people who may need extra help during an emergency. To help make sure everyone is taken care of, assign “block buddies.”

Write yourself a reminder to update your emergency plan one year from now.

On this date next year, review your contact information, practice your emergency evacuation plans, change the batteries in your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, and restock your kit(s). Change the batteries, food and water in your emergency kits once a year.

Basic emergency kit

• Water – at least two litres of water per person per day; include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order
• Food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (replace food and water once a year)
• Manual can-opener
• Crank or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries). Replace batteries once a year.
• Crank, battery-powered radio (and extra batteries) or Weatheradio
• First aid kit
• Extra keys to your car and house
• Some cash in smaller bills, such as $10 bills and change for payphones
• A copy of your emergency plan and contact information
• If applicable, other items such as prescription medication, infant formula, equipment for people with disabilities, or food, water and medication for your pets or service animal (personalize according to your needs)

Recommended additional items

• Two additional litres of water per person per day for cooking and cleaning
• Candles and matches or lighter (place candles in deep, sturdy containers and do not burn unattended)
• Change of clothing and footwear for each household member
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each household member
• Toiletries
• Hand sanitizer
• Utensils
• Garbage bags
• Toilet paper
•  Water purifying tablets
• Basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, work gloves, dust mask, pocket knife)
• A whistle (in case you need to attract attention)
• Duct tape (to tape up windows, doors, air vents, etc.)

If you think your water is contaminated, check with your municipality or local authorities for details. When in doubt, do not drink water you suspect may be contaminated.

Keep some cash on hand, as automated bank machines and their networks may not work during an emergency. You may have difficulty using debit or credit cards.

Pre-packaged kits

The Canadian Red Cross has emergency preparedness kits available for purchase on its website. You can also purchase pre-made kits from many local retailers.

Emergency vehicle kit

Prepare a small kit and keep it in your vehicle.

The basic kit should include:

• Blanket
• Candle in a deep can and matches
• Extra clothing and shoes
• First aid kit with seatbelt cutter
• Flashlight (crank or battery-powered). Replace batteries once a year.
• Food that won’t spoil (such as energy bars)
• List of contact numbers
• Radio (crank or battery-powered). Replace batteries once a year.
• Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
• Warning light or road flares
• Water
• Whistle

Recommended additional items to keep in your vehicle

• Antifreeze, windshield washer fluid
• Fire extinguisher
• Road maps
• Sand, salt or cat litter (non-clumping)
• Tow rope and jumper cables