In the event of an emergency, the services we all rely on every day may not be available. Individuals may not be able to leave their homes, or access food, water and other resources. In the event of a large-scale disaster or emergency it could take days for emergency crews to get to you as they prioritize the most urgent injuries and incidents.
Make sure your home is stocked with an emergency supply kit to get everyone through 72 hours, keep one in your car as well. Keep your kit in a bag or suitcase so it is easy to grab and carry, in case you are ordered to evacuate. Also ensure you have emergency kits for any pets in the home. Locate the kit in an easily accessible area and ensure everyone in the home knows its location.
You should update household emergency kits twice a year. A great reminder is to check your kits when you change your clocks for daylight savings time.
You can find more information, including emergency kit checklists, by downloading our Home Emergency Preparedness Guide or by reviewing the information below.
Home emergency kit contents
Your home emergency kit should include:
- Water, four litres per person per day
- Copies of identification and important documents
- Non-perishable foods, high-energy foods like peanut butter are great, make sure you have food for those with special diets in your home
- Medications, especially a one-week supply of important prescriptions
- First aid kit and manual
- Personal hygiene items
- Battery or crank-operated radio
- Flashlights
- Extra batteries
- Basic tools
- Extra clothing, especially for inclement weather
- A copy of your home emergency plan [LINK PLAN PAGE]
- Cooking and eating utensils
- Supplies for any pets in the home, including food and water
Vehicle emergency kits
Emergencies don’t always strike when you are at home. You can keep an emergency kit in your car for roadside emergencies.
Be sure to include:
- Flashlight (preferably a crank type)
- Small first-aid kit
- Reflective safety triangle or flares
- Snow brush and scraper
- Traction aid such as a bag of sand or kitty litter
- Small shovel
- Booster cables
- Extra windshield washer fluid
- Small toolkit
- Extra fuses for the vehicle
- Blanket
- Water
- Non-perishable snacks
Pet emergency kits
Make sure you also prepare a kit for any pets in your household.
Your pet emergency kit should include:
- Food for 72 hours, including bowls and can opener if required
- Water for 72 hours
- Blanket and/or towel
- Leash, muzzle, harness
- Litter pan, litter and bags for disposal
- Pet carrier
- Medical records
- Veterinarian contact information
- Medications and a pet first aid kit
- Identification tags and/or tracking chip number