Are you prepared for an Emergency? #EPWeek #TrustIsPower

Nobody is ever truly prepared for an emergency. Spring is here and I look around and see lots of flooding outside. As the snow thaws in the higher elevations and the rain comes, the rivers rise at a rapid rate. It is incredible how Mother Nature can drastically change in such a short period. Many people think they need to be prepared for emergencies in the winter, but do not think much about the rest of the year. You should be prepared all year-long. It is quick and easy to make an emergency kit and set it aside. If disaster ever strikes, you are prepared.

Over the years Canada has seen drastic snow falls, major flooding , earthquakes, tornadoes and fires, causing families to quickly flee their homes. When you are in this situation, it is hard to think straight and you may forget important items while getting your family to safety.

Plan ahead and pack an emergency kit now. This kit can be used if you need to leave your home or if you are stuck at home due to weather or obstructions stopping you from leaving.

What should you have in your kit? 

First aid kit

Bandages, antiseptic, ice packs, a sling and other items will help if you are hurt during an emergency.

Medication

Keep extra stock of any medication anyone in your family may be taking. You should have enough to keep you going for at least 72 hours. Other medications to have on had are Tylenol , Gravol as well as allergy medications.

Fire source

Matches or a lighter will come in handy if you need to light a fire to cook or keep warm.

Change of clothes

In the winter we have an emergency bag in the car. In the bag there is a warm change of clothes for everyone in the family. You never know if you will be stranded and for how long.

Snacks

Granola bars and prepackaged foods that are easy to take when traveling are great for emergency bags.

Water

Without power water may not pump to your house. If the disaster is great the water may be contaminated. Best to have clean drinking water on hand.

Photocopies of ID and important papers

If you need to go to a shelter or get temporary emergency relief, you will need to show ID. Having copies in one place is a good idea.

Flashlight

Great to have if you are without power.

Batteries

Stock up for flashlights, radios and other powered items you may require.

Radio

In the case of an emergency having a radio to keep up with plans, weather and relief is important.

Blanket

A must have for emergency kits in cars

Cash

When there is an emergency, power likely will be out. You will need cash to pay for the basic items you need.

Collect these items and place them in a large backpack or duffel bag. Keep the bag in an easy to access location making sure the entire family knows where it is.

Our country saw a large amount of natural disasters and emergency situations in 2016, and although a recent survey conducted by Duracell found that almost half the population has concerns about experiencing these phenomenon in the future, the country remains greatly unprepared for an emergency situation.

The recent Duracell survey also found that while 51% of Canadians feel prepared to handle an emergency situation, only 34% of Canadians report having an emergency kit at home to sustain themselves for 72 hours until help arrives.

When people are prepared to sustain themselves for at least 72 hours after a disaster make it easier for first responders to help those who urgently need it – and this has a significant impact not only on their own survival, but the survival of friends and neighbours.

May 7-13, 2017 is Emergency Preparedness Week, and this year, Duracell and the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) have teamed to remind Canadians that everyone needs to be prepared in an emergency.

Don’t wait until emergency hits your area to get prepared.

If you are able to, having a wood-stove will keep you warm and a generator with extra fuel will keep you powered as needed. I realize these are extras but being well stocked with an emergency kit and extra foods will help.

One thing we learned when we were without power for fourteen days was, the gas stations run out of fuel. Keep your car full and have extra if possible for generators and your vehicles if you need to evacuate.

In times of disaster, communities across Canada trust Duracell as a source for reliable power – from powering radios for the latest weather updates to flashlights to light the dark during power outages to recharging cell phones to keep people connected with loved ones. Make sure your emergency kit is well stocked.

Do you have an emergency kit in your home, car and workplace? What do you have in it?

Check out Duracell on Facebook for more information and updates during Emergency Preparedness Week

Download your emergency preparedness checklist here

Disclosure- This post has been compensated, all opinions are my own 

Comments

  1. The flooding all around us on the Ottawa River has really opened my eyes to how easily a natural disaster can happen in places where you don’t normally expect really bad things to happen. Having a plan in place and being prepared is so important. Great article, and reminders!

  2. This is great to know. I will print this off for future reference.

  3. This is such a great list to have (and follow.) We had wild fires in our area last fall, and I had several friends who were evacuated. It was amazing to hear what they took with them, and what they left behind.

  4. This is an awesome emergency kit. I have some of these in ours, but definitely not everything. I need to really get this together.

  5. We really need to upgrade our emergency kit in our home and car and add some of these important items to it.

  6. This is such great information! I have to begun to make sure that I am stocked up on emergency items and have encouraged others that I know to do the same.

  7. We had a bag ready after 9/11 but eneything has since expired. Need to refresh thisb

  8. I am SO not ready. I need to get a kit together for my house. Like now.

  9. Thank you so much for sharing this! We’re somewhat prepared, but not nearly as well as I thought!

  10. This is an excellent resource for disaster preparedness. I’d say we probably have about 90% of everything on this list and 100% of the most important things.

  11. Great tips on emergency preparedness. One can’t be prepared enough!

  12. We need to get prepared. Reading this post tells me were are not nearly prepared enough!

  13. That type of emergency is something I never thought of but probably should. Those tips and list of essentials is a great thing to be ready with just in case.

  14. I really need to get prepared for an emergency. I have a kit for the car but not in my house. I will have to go out this weekend and stock up on everything I need.

  15. Elizabeth Lampman says

    You just never know when an emergency is going to hit. We have had a ton of rain here in the last few days and there have been some flooding close by. Today I went and restocked my emergency kit for both the house and my car.

  16. I live in Southern California, land of beautiful weather most of the time, but it’s also the land of power outages, wildfires, and flooding. Your list is awesome! Under snacks, I would say if at all possible get beef sticks, meat sticks, or beef jerky that every member of your family loves. Seriously, during major power outages Jack Links Terriyaki bites are my go to snack. The protein will help keep your energy level up more so than granola bars and similar snacks. We felt like we ate a “steak dinner” by flashlight.

  17. I am not really prepared for emergencies but I should be. I need to make a first aid kit.

  18. We have been working on our emergency kits. This is important information to have. Thanks for the reminder.

  19. This is so important, thank you!! I am always afraid we are not prepared enough. THat infographic is really helpful!!!

  20. It’s always good to be ready for emergency. This is a great list. Thanks for sharing

  21. You can never be too prepared. We try to stay stocked up since we can get some pretty bad winters.

  22. We do have an emergency kit ready to go. We raid it for items we need sometimes so this was a good reminder for me to check and see if it needs restocked.

  23. These are really great tips! And very helpful too! Will share these with my loved ones!

  24. This really is a great list of items to have in case of an emergency. I would like to say I am “mostly” prepared, but need to grab some of those items you have shared. I don’t have a first aid kit in my home, but I have one in my car – weird huh?

  25. taylermorrell says

    We moved to Texas from UTah at the end of summer last year…so we never experienced thunderstorm/tornado season …. but, the past two months, we’ve had quite a few SEVERE thunderstorms with flooding/hail/tornado warnings…so we’ve decided to make emergency kits for our apartment and for our cars.

  26. A checklist is a great thing to have! We usually have our travel trailer stocked and ready to go so that’s our emergency preparedness. I do have a few things in the house but I need to create a kit.

  27. Tami @ ThisMomsDelight says

    I am sadly not prepared for an emergency. This is a great list to work from to get myself ready.

  28. We live in earthquake country and so things like this are always on my mind. I went through our emergency box a few months back and found things to be outdated and in bad shape. So last month I purchase a great deal of supplies for both our home and my son’s home. I also purchased two Rubbermaid bins on wheels to store everything in. Looking over your list, I see there are still things I have missed. Photocopies of IDs and important papers for one. I will have to add that right away. Thanks for this checklist!

  29. Janet M says

    I do have an emergency Red Cross kit that I keep in a safe place.

  30. great tips. i need to do better about an emergency kit.

  31. Natural disasters can happen in minutes,thanks for sharing these helpful tips.

  32. Stephanie LaPlante says

    We have an emergency kit just in case of a blackout or storm. I definitely plan on adding some of your great ideas. Thanks for sharing!

  33. We are experiencing flooding in our area, thankfully I have not been affected. I will have to make sure we have everything needed just in case.

  34. Sadly, we are not prepared for an emergency. That is something I will have to get started on.

  35. I really need to take some steps to prepare for emergency. I have never even thought of keeping cash on hand in event or emergency. Makes sense. So much flowing right now. It’s very scary. Was just in Alabama where hurricanes are a reality there and I think many live in a perpetual state of preparedness for emergency. I think many Canadians take for granted that we are safe from these kinds of things but weather and flooding can happen anywhere.

  36. We keep talking about getting that emergency preparedness kit done … for about the last 5 years!

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