An emergency can happen anywhere at any time. When disaster strikes you may not have much time to respond. A highway spill of hazardous material could mean an instant evacuation. A winter storm could confine your family to your home. An earthquake, flood, or power failure could cut off basic services – gas, water, electricity and telephones – for days.

Your family will cope best by preparing for disaster before it strikes. One way to prepare is by assembling emergency kits. If you’ve gathered these supplies in advance, your family can readily handle an emergency situation.

• Make sure all family members know where the kit is located

• All family members could have their own kit and another bag could be devoted to equipment, food and extra bottles of water for the whole family

• Make copies of all your prescriptions and keep a minimum one-week supply of medications in your emergency kit

Food and water:

• At least three litres of bottled water per person, per day
• Canned food: soups, stews, beans, pastas, meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables
• Energy bars and dried foods
• Honey, peanut butter, nuts, syrup, jams, salt and pepper, sugar, instant coffee and tea
• Comfort/stress foods such as cookies and hard candy
• Food for infants, seniors or special diets

*Keep enough water and non-perishable food to meet your needs for at least 3 days. Check the food and replace the water every year.

Basic supplies and tools:

• Small fuel-driven stove and fuel (follow the manufacturer's directions and store properly)
• Waterproof matches, plastic garbage bags, duct tape and paper towels
• Disposable plates and glasses, knives, forks, spoons
• Crank or battery-operated radio with extra batteries
• Flashlight (s) with extra batteries
• Candles and matches in airtight package
• Fire extinguisher
• Manual can opener manual and bottle opener
• Utility knives
• Pliers, screw driver and duct tape
• Aluminum foil
• Zip-lock bags
• Signal flare
• Thread
• Paper, pencil
• Plastic sheeting
• Wrench (to turn off household gas and water)
• Candles and matches or lighter
• Whistle (in case you need to attract attention)
• Toiletries, spare eyeglasses and other personal items
• First aid kit, prescription drugs
• Extra set of keys and money (including small change for pay telephones)
• Map of the area (for locating shelters)
• Winter clothing, boots and blankets or sleeping bags

*Each member of the family could have their own personalized survival kit in a backpack, ready to go in case you need to evacuate. Place all these items in a portable container and keep it accessible.

First Aid
Assemble one kit for your home and one for your vehicle:

• Latex gloves (2 pairs)
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Safety pins
• Thermometer
• Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
• 5-centimetre sterile gauze pads (4-6)
• 10-centimetre sterile gauze pads (4-6)
• Triangular bandages (3)
• 5-centimetre sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
• 10-centimetre sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
• Cleansing agent and soap
• Moistened towelettes
• Antiseptic
• Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
• Tube of anti-fungal or antibiotic ointment
• Sunscreen
• Non-prescription medication: aspirin or other pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrhea medication, antacid and laxative
• Prescription medication
• First aid manual

* Store items in zip-lock bags or other air-tight containers to avoid moisture and contamination. Include any medication commonly used by members of the household.

Clothing:

• Clothing and bedding
• Sturdy shoes or work boots
• Hats and gloves
• Rain gear
• Thermal underwear
• Blankets and sleeping bags
• Sunglasses

*Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear for each person, as well as blankets or sleeping bags. Make sure your winter kit includes heavy footwear, hats and gloves and thermal underwear.

Vehicle kit:

• Shovel, scraper and snow brush
• Sand, salt or cat litter and antifreeze
• Matches and candles in a metal container
• Spare clothing and shoes, blanket
• Tow rope, jumper cables, windshield-washer fluid
• Warning light or road flares and fire extinguisher
• First aid kit with seatbelt cutter
• Water and emergency food (such as energy bars)
• Roadmaps, whistle and flashlight

*Always try to keep your gas tank at least half full, especially in the winter.

Special items:

• For baby:
  • formula
  • diapers
  • bottles
  • medications

• For adults:
  • heart and blood pressure medication
  • insulin
  • prescription drugs
  • denture needs
  • contact lenses and supplies
  • extra eye glasses

• Important documents:
  • Wills, insurance policies
  • Health Card and Social Insurance numbers
  • Passports, social insurance cards, immunization records
  • Bank account numbers
  • Cash (banks and automated banking machines may be unavailable during a severe situation)
  • Checkbooks
  • Credit card account numbers and companies
  • Inventory of valuable household goods
  • Important telephone numbers
  • Family records, such as birth, marriage and death certificates.

  * Make copies of these and keep them in a portable, waterproof container. The best place for original documents when they are not in use is a safety deposit box.