Emergency kits
Creating a family emergency plan and sharing it with everyone in your household is an important part of being ready and safe if the power goes out or a natural disaster occurs. Another is making an emergency kit.
Make a home emergency kit
This list of what you’ll need for a basic household emergency kit is from Public Safety Canada. Pack enough supplies for at least 72 hours and store it where you can easily find it in the dark. You may also want to prepare emergency kits to keep in your car and at work. For more resources and disaster readiness tips, visit PreparedBC.
Basic emergency kit supplies
- water – two litres of water per person per day (include small bottles)
- food that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (replace once a year)
- manual can opener
- wind-up or battery-powered flashlight (and extra batteries)
- wind-up or battery-powered radio (and extra batteries)
- first aid kit
- extra keys for your car and house
- cash – include smaller bills, such as $10 bills and change for payphones
- important family documents, such as identification, insurance and bank records
- emergency plan – include a copy in your kit as well as contact information
- special needs items – pet food, prescription medications, infant formula or equipment for people with disabilities
Consider these additional emergency kit supplies
- two additional litres of water per person per day for cooking and cleaning
- candles and matches or lighter (place in sturdy containers and do not burn unattended)
- change of clothing and footwear for each household member
- sleeping bag or warm blanket for each household member
- toiletries
- hand sanitizer
- prepaid phone card, mobile phone charger
- toilet paper
- utensils
- garbage bags
- household chlorine bleach or water purifying tablets
- basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, work gloves, pocket knife)
- small fuel-operated stove and fuel
- whistle (to attract attention)
- duct tape