Kings County Regional Emergency Management Organization

Emergency preparedness for You and your Family

Are you prepared for an Emergency?

Emergencies can occur any time, anywhere – hurricanes, winter storms and power outages. Be prepared to take care of you and your family for 72 hours or more, protect yourself during an emergency and know what to do after an emergency.

Emergency officials work to ensure the readiness of our communities, municipalities and province in an emergency. However, we as individuals also have a responsibility to ensure our own safety and that of our family.

If you are without electricity for a couple of days, or weeks, do you have the supplies needed to see you through? Do you have a household emergency plan outlining exit routes from your home and your neighbourhood?

Emergencies can be stressful, but if you take the time now to prepare yourself and your family you will be better able to cope.





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 person’s 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, or store the information on a flash-drive.

  • List of important Numbers
  • Home Insurance Papers
  • Vehicle Titles, Leases, Loan Documents
  • Passports
  • Social Insurance Cards
  • Birth Certificates
  • List of Medications – Doctors Phone Numbers
  • Home Inventory List

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
Ask your children's school or daycare about their emergency policies. Find out how they will contact families during an emergency.

Find out what type of authorization the school or daycare requires to release your children to a designated person if you can't pick them up.

Designated person 1: ______________________ Phone: __________________

Designated person 2: ______________________ Phone: __________________

School contact information: _________________________________________

Plan for pets
In case of an evacuation, remember that pets are not allowed in some public shelters or hotels. In case of an evacuation, prepare to take your pets with you to the home of a relative or friend, or take steps to identify pet-friendly hotels or pet boarding facilities in your area and further away from home.

Location and contact information :___________________________________

Pet Emergency Kit Checklist:
  • Pet carrier or crate, ideally one for each pet
  • Bottled water
  • Pet first-aid kit and guidebook (ask your vet what to include)
  • 3-7 days’ worth of canned (pop-top) or dry food (be sure to rotate every two months)
  • Paper towel
  • Liquid dish soap and disinfectant
  • Disposable garbage bags/waste bags for clean-up
  • Pet feeding dishes
  • Extra collar or harness as well as an extra leash
  • Blanket/towels
  • Medication
  • Recent photos of your pet (in case you are separated)
  • Photocopies of medical records and a waterproof container with a two-week supply of
  • any medicine your pet requires (check expiry dates)
  • Copies of vaccination records, I.D. tags, medical and insurance

Special health needs
Establish a personal support network of friends, relatives, health-care providers, co-workers and neighbours who understand your special needs.

Write down details about:
  • Accommodation needs
  • Insurance information
  • Allergies
  • Medical conditions
  • Emergency contacts
  • Medication
  • Family medical history
  • Recent vaccinations
  • Health screenings
  • Surgeries

Keep a copy of this information in your emergency kit and give a copy to your personal support network.

Talk to your doctor about preparing a grab-and-go bag, if possible, with a two-week supply of medication and medical supplies. Include prescriptions and medical documents. Remember that pharmacies may be closed for some time, even after an emergency is over.







Arrange for each family member to call, e-mail or text the same out-of-town contact person in case of an emergency.

Choose an out-of-town contact who lives far enough away that he or she is unlikely to be affected by the same event. If you are new to Canada or have recently moved to a new area, make arrangements through friends, cultural associations or community organizations.


Safe home instructions
Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector, smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and well-stocked first aid kit. If you live in an apartment, or if you are staying in a hotel, know where the fire alarms and at least two emergency exits are located.

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on every level of your home, including one in your kitchen. Everyone in your home should know where to find the fire extinguishers. All capable adults and older children should know how to use it. See instructions regarding the lifetime of your fire extinguisher and check with your local fire department for more information.

Older children and adults should know how to turn off your home's water, electricity and gas. Make large, easy-to-see signs for water and gas shut-offs as well as for the electrical panel.

Teach children how and when to dial 9-1-1 as well as how to call the designated out-of-town contact.

Limit phone calls to urgent messages only. Keep calls short to free up the lines for others.


Emergency instructions

  • Call 9-1-1 (where available) to report a fire, a crime or to save a life.
  • For non-emergency calls, use the ten-digit numbers listed in your local phone book, or this emergency plan, for police, fire and other health services.
  • When notifying emergency services of your location, provide the exact street or civic address and nearest intersection.
  • For the gas and water valves, keep shut-off instructions close by and read them carefully.

In an emergency

  • Follow your emergency plan.
  • Get your emergency kit.
  • Make sure you are safe before assisting others.
  • Listen to the radio or television for information from authorities. Local officials may advise you to stay where you are. Follow their instructions.
  • Stay put until all is safe or until you are ordered to evacuate.

Evacuation orders
Authorities will not ask you to leave your home unless they have reason to believe that you may be in danger.

If you are ordered to evacuate, take your emergency kit, your wallet, personal identification for each family member and copies of essential family documents with you. Bring a cellular phone and spare battery or charger with you, if you have one. Use travel routes specified by local authorities.

If you have time, call or e-mail your out-of-town contact. Tell them where you are going and when you expect to arrive. Once you are safe, let them know. Tell them if any family members have become separated.

If possible, leave a note telling others when you left and where you are. Shut off water and electricity if officials tell you to do so.

Leave natural gas service on unless officials tell you to turn it off. If you turn off the gas, the gas company has to reconnect it. In a major emergency, it could take weeks for a professional to respond.

Take pets with you. Lock your home. Follow instructions from authorities.

If you go to an evacuation centre, register your personal information at the registration desk. Do not return home until authorities advise that it is safe to do so.