Advocacy Workshop – Preparing for Climate Emergencies

72 hours – is your family prepared?
If an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours.
These basic steps will help you take care of yourself and your loved ones during an emergency.

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Step 1 Know the risks
Although the consequences of various disasters can be similar, knowing the risks in your region can help you better prepare. Across Canada, we face a number of hazards, such as floods in many provinces, earthquakes in British Columbia, blizzards in Nunavut and tornadoes in Ontario. In addition to natural disasters, there are other types of risks, such as power outages and industrial or transportation accidents.
Some of the risks below may be relevant to your community. Find out which ones by visiting GetPrepared.ca. You may want to identify the most likely ones for easy reference. You may also want to find out how disasters have impacted Canadians. Learn more about disasters, including those triggered by natural hazards, technological hazards or conflict by using the Canadian Disaster Database at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cdd  For more emergency preparedness information, visit GetPrepared.ca or follow @Get_Prepared on Twitter.

Step 2 Make a Plan
Every Canadian household needs an emergency plan. It will help you and your family know what to do in case of an emergency. It will take you about 20 minutes to make your plan.
Your family may not be together when an emergency occurs. Plan how to meet or how to contact one another and discuss what you would do in different situations.
Use the following suggestions to create your plan. Most of this information can be filled out on your own. You may need to get some information from your municipality and province/territory /state about their emergency plans. Keep this document in an easy-to-find, easy-to-remember place (for example, with your emergency kit). Photocopy this plan and keep it in your car and/or at work, and a copy close to your phone.  If you completed your plan online, keep an electronic version on your computer.

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, practise 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.

Household Plan – 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.
Safe meeting place near home:
A safe meeting place outside the immediate neighbourhood:
Evacuation routes from the neighbourhood:

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.

Workplace
Learn about the emergency evacuation plans in place and what you will need to do. You may want to have some basic supplies at work, such as water and food that won’t spoil, in case you need to stay put for a while. Check with your employer about workplace emergency plans, including fire alarms, emergency exits, meeting points, and designated safety personnel or floor wardens.

Children
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