Step 1: Learn About Hazards in Your Community
By learning about the types of emergencies that could happen in your community, you can better prepare for them.
Every community inOntariohas a designated Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC), who is responsible for the development, maintenance and implementation of their community’s emergency management program. Your CEMC has received training from Emergency Management Ontario and is a qualified emergency management professional who can provide you with information about the types of emergencies that can happen in your community. You can contact your local CEMC through your municipal government office.
Another resource for learning about the types of emergencies that could happen in your community is the Ontario Atmospheric Hazards Website (www.hazards.ca). This website presents background material and map data for atmospheric hazards inOntario. It has been created by the Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada, in cooperation with Emergency Management Ontario.
Step 2: Learn How You Will Be Informed Of an Emergency
You may be informed of an emergency through the media (television or radio broadcast) or directly by emergency responders, such as the police who come to your home or business. Some areas are equipped with public alerting systems such as automated phone calling or in-home tone-alert radios. To learn more about notification in your community, please contact your local Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC).
Step 3: Develop a Family Emergency Plan
Once you know what types of emergencies can happen in your community, develop a family emergency plan.
Arrange a meeting with your family to discuss why you need to prepare for an emergency. Talk about the types of emergencies that could happen and explain what to do in each case.
Everyone should know what to do in the event all family members are not together when an emergency happens. Discussing emergency situations ahead of time will help to reduce fear and anxiety and will help everyone know how to respond.
• Pick two places to meet:
Right outside of your home in case of a sudden emergency like a fire
Outside of your neighbourhood in case you can’t return home or are asked to leave your neighbourhood.
Everyone must know the address and phone number of both of the meeting places.
• Develop an emergency communications plan. In case family members are separated from one another during an emergency, have a plan for getting back together. Separation is a possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school/daycare.
• Ask an out-of-town relative or friend to be your family contact. Your contact should live outside of your area. After an emergency it is often easier to make a long distance call than a local call. Family members should call the contact and tell him or her where they are. Everyone must know the contact’s name, address and phone number.
• Discuss what to do if authorities ask you to evacuate. Before an emergency happens, make arrangements for a place to stay with a friend or relative who lives out of town. To learn more about evacuations, go to Learn What You Should Do If Asked to Evacuate
Make arrangements for the care of your pets in the event of an emergency. With the exception of service animals, pets are generally not permitted in emergency evacuation centres. Before an emergency happens, plan where you would take your pets if you could not take them with you to a public emergency evacuation centre.
• Teach all family members how to properly turn off the water, gas and electricity in your home. Keep any tools necessary to shut off these utilities near the shut-off valves. Do not turn off you utilities unless you suspect a leak or if you are instructed to do so by authorities. If you turn the gas off, you will need a professional to turn it back on.
Step 4: Prepare an Emergency Survival Kit
Being prepared for an emergency includes the preparation of an emergency survival kit. An emergency survival kit contains all of the basic items you need to remain comfortable for at least three days immediately after or during an emergency.
It is important the contents of your emergency survival kit are kept all together in an easy to carry container or bag in the event you have to leave your home as a result of an emergency. This will ensure you have all of your basic supplies with you. Your emergency survival kit should be kept in an easy-to-reach location and everyone in your family should know where it is stored.
The Emergency Survival Checklist below outlines the basic items every individual should have:
- Flashlight and batteries
- Radio and batteries or crank radio
- Spare batteries (for radio and flashlight)
- First-aid kit
- Telephone that can work during a power disruption
- Candles and matches/lighter
- Extra car keys and cash
- Important papers (identification)
- Non-perishable food (ready-to-eat items that do not require refrigeration)
- Manual can opener
- Bottled water (4 litres per person per day)
- Clothing and footwear
- Blankets or sleeping bag
- Toilet paper and other personal items
- Medication
- Backpack/duffle bag
- Whistle (to attract attention, if needed)
- Playing cards
Remember that families with babies and toddlers will have additional needs. Remember to include things like diapers, baby food and formula, bottles/sippy cups, toys, crayons and paper etc.
Step 5: Prepare Your Pets
Recent emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina have demonstrated the need for individuals to include their pet(s) in their family emergency plan. Individuals and families with pets need to plan how they will take care of them in an emergency situation.
With the exception of service animals, pets are generally not permitted in emergency evacuation centres. Before an emergency happens, plan where you would take your pets if you could not take them with you to a public emergency evacuation centre.
Ask friends and relatives outside of your immediate area whether they would be willing to shelter your pet(s) should an emergency occur.
Contact the hotels and motels outside of your immediate area to check on their policies regarding pets and whether they have restrictions on the number, size and type of pet. Also ask whether any “no pet” policies might be waived in an emergency.
Prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who would be willing to shelter pets in the event of an emergency.
Contact local animal shelters and ask if they provide shelter for pets in the event of an emergency. This should only be used as a last resort, as animal shelters have limited resources and will be very busy in an emergency.
Keep a list of all “pet friendly” places and their telephone numbers so that you can call ahead for reservations should you have notice of an impending emergency.
Just as you would prepare an emergency survival kit for yourself and your family, prepare an emergency survival kit for your pet(s) to keep them comfortable for at least three days. This kit should be stored in an easy to carry bag or container in the event you have to leave your home and stored next to your emergency survival kit. The following is a list of items that you should include in your pet emergency survival kit:
- Food, potable water, bowls, paper towel and a can opener
- Blanket and a small toy
- Sturdy leash/harness
- Cat litter/pan (if required) and plastic bags
- Carrier for transporting your pet
- Medications and medical records (including vaccinations)
- Current photo of your pet in case your pet gets lost
- Information on feeding schedules, medical or behavioural problems in case you must board your pet
- Up-to-date ID tag with your phone number and the name/phone number of your veterinarian
- Copy of license (if required)
- Muzzle (if required)
Emergency supply requirements vary for different kinds of pets. Please contact your veterinarian, should you have questions about the care of your pet and the items that should be included in their emergency survival kit.
You may not be at home when an emergency occurs and and/or an evacuation order is issued. Before an emergency happens, ask a trusted neighbour to evacuate your pet if need be, and meet you in a pre-arranged location. This individual should have a key to your home, know where the pet emergency kit is located, be comfortable with your pet and, more importantly, know where your pet is likely to be.
Step 6: Practice and Maintain Your Plan
Practicing your family emergency plan will help make sure you take appropriate actions in a real emergency situation. You should review your plan regularly and update contact numbers and meeting locations, as needed.
In addition to practicing yours plan, make sure to replace the food and water in your emergency survival kit and in your pet emergency survival kit once every six months.
Step 7: Learn How to Evacuate
Evacuation is a protective action that may be ordered by emergency officials when there is a significant threat posed to a specific area or community. Causes of an evacuation could include a natural, accidental or human-caused disaster such as a chemical release, nuclear incident or severe weather.
When you should evacuate:
Evacuate only when instructed to do so by your local emergency officials. In some cases it may be safer to remain inside (shelter-in-place).
If ordered to evacuate listen to media reports to learn about areas being evacuated and which routes are safest to take.
How will I know to evacuate?
Evacuation orders are typically broadcast through the media or delivered directly to homes and businesses by emergency responders, such as the police. Some areas are equipped with public alerting systems such as automated phone calling or in-home tone-alert radios. To learn more about notification in your community, please contact your local Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC).
What should you do if ordered to evacuate?
Offer to assist neighbours who may not be able to evacuate on their own. If possible, make these arrangements in advance.
Take your family emergency survival kit, important documents (e.g., medical and vaccination records) and your personal valuables (e.g., cash, credit cards).
Evacuate the area affected by the emergency exactly as directed. Remain calm, do not speed and obey official directions as some roads may be closed or rerouted.
Don’t take shortcuts. Doing so might lead you to a blocked or dangerous area.
If evacuating during a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident, keep your car windows and vents closed and air-conditioner turned off.
During some evacuations, you may be asked to report to a reception centre. These may be set up to check people and vehicles for contamination, record evacuee contact information or arrange for temporary housing.
Avoid using the telephone unless you are reporting an emergency or it is absolutely necessary. Emergency responders and those who need immediate emergency assistance will need all available lines.
Listen to media reports to stay informed about further announcements from your local emergency officials.
Step 8: Learn How to “Shelter-In-Place”
In the event of an emergency, such as the accidental or intentional release of dangerous goods into the atmosphere (e.g., chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear contaminants), persons in the threatened area may be instructed to shelter-in-place.
What is Shelter-in-Place?
Unlike seeking refuge at a shelter outside of your home or place of work, as might occur during an evacuation, shelter-in-place is a precaution to help keep you safe by remaining indoors.
How will I be notified?
Typically by the media.
Alternately, emergency services might drive through your neighbourhood and provide instructions over a loud speaker or by going door-to-door.
Some municipalities have installed public alerting systems, such as sirens, tone-alert radios, and automated phone calling. Please contact your local Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for information on any such systems in your community.
What should I do if at home?
If instructed by local officials to shelter-in-place, close and lock all windows and exterior doors. If there is danger of an explosion, close all window coverings (e.g., shades, blinds, curtains). Also turn off all fans, vents, and heating and air conditioning systems and close any fireplace dampers.
If possible, take refuge in a small, interior room, with no or few windows. In case of a chemical threat, an above ground location is preferable, as chemicals heavier than air may seep into the basement even with the windows closed.
Although most shelter-in-place orders usually last only a few hours, take your family emergency survival kit into the room with you so you and your family and pets have a supply of food, bottled water, first aid supplies and medications on hand.
Have a working radio available so you can listen to the media to know when it’s safe to come out or if you will need to evacuate the area.
Try to have a hard-wired telephone inside the room in which you are seeking shelter. This will provide a backup to any cellular equipment you may have.
Avoid using the telephone unless you are reporting an emergency or it is absolutely necessary. Emergency responders and those who need immediate emergency assistance will need all available lines.
Step 9: Consider any Special Needs
There are an estimated 1.5 million Ontarians with disabilities and special needs, including seniors with special needs. For those living with a physical, visual, auditory and/or other non-visible disability, emergency preparedness should also involve incorporating special accommodations into their family emergency plan. Emergency Management Ontario and the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario have developed an Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities/Special Needs. To best prepare for an emergency according to one’s special needs, please refer to the appropriate category in this guide for a list of suggested emergency survival kit items and contingency planning considerations.