Do You Have An Emergency Kit In Your Home?

The Pacific Coast is one of the most earthquake prone regions in Canada. Vancouver is located in an active earthquake region that could be impacted by an earthquake at any moment. Erratic shifts in the weather due to climate change, means that we are prone to floods and wildfires now, more than ever. According to a recent poll done in the North Shore, 60% of residents admit that they don’t have an emergency kit or plan.

According to the director of the North Shore Emergency Management (NSEM), Emily Dicken, “It’s not that people don’t want to be prepared, it’s just that they don’t understand the magnitude of the disruption. It’s everybody’s responsibility to be prepared for natural disasters or hazards in the community.”

Emergency kit

It is strongly recommended that every home should have a kit with supplies to support everyone living there for at least 72 hours of sheltering at home. The basics should include:

• Nonperishable foods such as canned goods or energy bars
• A manual can opener
• At least 4 liters of water per person per day
• A well-stocked first aid kit
• A radio and flashlight that are either powered by a hand crank or batteries
• Cash in small bills
• Copies of members of the households’ ids – drivers license, insurance papers, passports, birth certificates and other important identification
• Extra prescription medication and baby formula if necessary
• If there are pets, then extra pet food supply
• A back up power supply to charge devices
• A grab and go kit for each person in the household in case an evacuation is needed at short notice

Emergency plan

This should be a plan that lays out contingencies for communication, mitigating risks like fires and floods that could follow a natural disaster and reuniting family members.

• Members of the household should be familiar with the natural gas, water and electrical connections are and where the shut off points are
• There should be a list of phone numbers, emails, and the critical health needs of members of the household
• An out of area contact who could be the central checking in point and help coordinate the rescue efforts for the household if need be

While the hope is that no one ever faces even the remote possibility of a disaster, people who have done the proper planning and preparedness cope far better when the worst happens.

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