Emergencies and disasters can occur anytime, anywhere. Some are seasonal, allowing you to prepare in advance. Others occur swiftly and without warning. Planning ahead and preparing for your family's needs can make a big difference in your ability to cope. You can lessen the impact of an emergency or disaster by knowing what to do before, during and after one occurs.
The information sheets below provide general information for personal and family emergency preparedness for a variety of natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. During a Disaster
You are expected to survive for 72 hours on your own
After 72 hours, authorities will contact you and re-locate you to the Disaster Response Center
You will need a battery powered radio so authorities can contact you.
Never enter a damaged building, even if it looks safe
You can obtain water from a water heater, toilet tank or melted ice cubes
Boil contaminated water for 5 minutes or add 1 drop of bleach per litre. Let stand 30 seconds before drinking
Disinfect floodwater in basement by mixing 2 litres of bleach into it every 3 days.
Stay away and alert authorities if you see hanging power lines or damaged pipes
How to react to a Chemical Spill
Close all doors, windows, and ventilation systems
Seal off all gaps (around windows, vents, pipes, etc.) with wet towels, duct tape, or plastic sheeting
Go into a secure room in the middle of the house, above ground
Cover mouth with a cloth while leaving area
Close windows and vents, and shut off the AC/heating system
Make an Emergency Plan
A family emergency plan will help you and your family know what to do in case of an emergency. Every Canadian household needs an emergency plan.
It will take you about 20 minutes to complete your personalized plan online. You can then print it out. Before starting your home emergency plan, you will need to think about:
Safe exits from home and neighbourhood
Meeting places to reunite with family or roommates
Designated person to pick up children should you be unavailable
Contact persons close-by and out-of-town
Place for your pet to stay
Risks in your region
Location of your fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical box, gas valve and floor drain
How to react in a Thunderstorm
Stay away from windows, doors, fireplaces, stoves, and any other conductive material
Shelter in ditch (if not raining) or building
Remove all metal objects
If in an open area, crouch forward, with feet together, elbows on knees, and hands on ears (creates the smallest possible path for lightning to travel through your body)
Never lie flat on the ground
Stay away from trees, power lines, fences, and raised areas
Avoid using bicycle or motorbike
Stop car well away from power lines and trees
Do not touch any metal objects
Feeling your hair stand on end indicates that lightning is about to strike
How to react in a Tornado
Go into basement if possible
Crouch under heavy furniture, in closet, or a small room well away from windows and sides of house
Get out of mobile house
Wrap self in blanket
Go into ditch or ravine
Be aware of bridges or overpasses that could collapse
Abandon immediately, the wind will flip your car
Many say tornados sound like a freight train
Use a flash light and never a candle (there may be broken gas lines)
Who does what in an emergency?
When it comes to emergency preparedness and emergency management, we all have a role to play. Individuals and families
Individuals take steps ahead of time to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours during an emergency. You should also understand the basic principles of first aid and safety.
Every disaster is a local disaster. Different levels of organizations respond progressively as an emergency escalates and their resources are needed. The first ones to respond are closest to the emergency. First Responders – i.e. fire, police, paramedics
Local fire, police, paramedic, and search and rescue teams are normally the first to respond to an emergency. They are responsible for managing most local emergencies as part of the municipal emergency plan. Find out more about the emergency plan in your area by contacting your emergency management organization (EMO). Non-government organizations
There are several non-profit, non-government organizations (NGOs) that play very important roles in emergency management, including disaster prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Some examples include the Canadian Red Cross, St. John Ambulance and The Salvation Army. They work in partnership with governments to help Canadians deal with emergencies, from providing first aid training to disaster relief. Provincial and territorial governments
Every province and territory has an emergency management organization (EMO), which manages large-scale emergencies and provides assistance to municipal or community response teams as required. EMOs fulfill an important role in support of first responders and municipalities. Federal departments and agencies support provincial or territorial EMOs as requested. They also manage emergencies that involve areas of federal jurisdiction, such as nuclear safety, national defense and border security.
How to react in a Winter Storm
Keep residence cooler than usual.
Block off most areas of house and anywhere cold air can enter building
Stay together in one room.
Have many layers and blankets
Stay hydrated Insulate frozen pipes with newspapers
Do not bring outdoor heating systems (ie. barbeque) into house
Cover mouth to prevent cold air from getting in lungs
Keep moving to increase circulation
It is crucial to stay with your car
Tie a brightly coloured cloth to your antenna or window
Run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes per hour, during this time open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and periodically clear snow from exhaust pipe (to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning)
Move arms and legs continuously to keep your blood circulating
Use anything available for insulation
Alternate sleeping, so someone is awake to watch for rescue crews at all times
Safety signs on board ship alert the crew to hazards, equipment, escape routes, etc.
The intention of International Standards relating to signage is to communicate the safety message using graphical symbols and colours that are universally understood and known by all members of society, thereby removing one of the barriers to good safety management created by different languages.
The 2010 edition of Life Saving Appliances is now available from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
This publication includes the latest consolidated versions of the
mandatory International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code, the Revised
Recommendation on Testing of Life-Saving Appliances and the Code of
Practice for the Evaluation, Testing and Acceptance of Prototype Novel
The updated requirements and recommendations in the new edition include those relating to:
• stowage, fitting and equipment of liferafts; • certification and fitting of lifeboats; • new requirements for fast rescue boats; • requirements for lifeboat and rescue boat launching appliances; • carrying capacity of free-fall lifeboats; • changes in the average weight of persons to be used for the design and equipment of life-saving appliances; • extensive new requirements for lifejackets, including the introduction of infant and child lifejackets; • extensive
associated changes to testing requirements for life-saving appliances,
including the introduction of reference test devices.