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Be Prepared | Personal Preparedness |
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Did you know that in 95% of all emergencies, bystanders or victims themselves are the first to provide emergency assistance or to perform rescues? The reality is in a major disaster, such as an earthquake, communities and individuals will need to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours as emergency personnel may become overwhelmed and possibly will not be able to provide immediate assistance to all in need. As well, access to phones, gas, water, sewer and electrical services may be cut off.
The sooner you prepare yourself, your home, and your family the more resilient you will be when a disaster strikes.
Resources
Grab and go kits
A properly prepared and maintained Emergency Supply Kit (s) can be the key to bringing you and your family through a major disaster. The kit should contain everything you and your family may need to be self sufficient for at least 72 hours. Plan your kit carefully; every family is unique and has personal preferences, allergies and other needs to be recognized.
Store your Emergency Supply Kit in a cool shaded place away from chemicals and not directly on a concrete floor. A plastic or metal container with a tight fitting lid will protect contents from odours, moisture damage and rodents. If you choose to use a duffel bag or backpack, wrap a large garbage bag around it for extra protection.
Keep your kit accessible. Possible locations are a closet near an exit or in your camper or an outside shed. You may want to consider storing supplies in individual packs within your big container so kit supplies are easier to move when evacuating. Please click on the following link to access a checklist of emergency supplies that you can simply print and take shopping. You don't necessarily need to purchase items all at once, try doing this week by week, month by month. Elderly and/or Disabled
Extra precautions should be taken for those who are elderly and/or disabled. If you have a family member or friend who is elderly and/or disabled, help them create an emergency plan. Please click on the following link to access a checklist of items and ideas to consider when you are creating an emergency plan. Out Of Area Contact
Please click on the following link to access a tool you and your family can use to collect your Out of Area Contact information. Family DocumentsA great idea is to collect the originals of all important financial and family documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, wills, deeds, tax returns, insurance policies, and stock and bond certificates. Keep the originals in a safe place and store copies in a different location. If the originals are destroyed due to a disaster, you will still have access to your copies. You will also need accessible records for insurance purposes. When disaster strikes, you may need quick access to important contact numbers, health information, and houshold documents. You should keep a collection of the above information written down and in your grab and go kit. Home
Please click on the following link to obtain an Home Prepardness document in order to ensure your home is ready for a disaster.
Pets
Most people forget to include their pets in their emergency planning. Pets along with people need to be prepared for emergencies and evacuations. It is important to have an emergency grab and go kit for your animals as well as appropriate kennels/carrying containers. You should also identify several friends or kennels that could accommodate your pet/pets if you were to be evacuated from your home. If you have someone watching your pet/pets remember to let them know what to do in the event of an emergency.
Please click on the following link to learn more on how to prepare your pets for emergencies.
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After an earthquake or other major disaster, local phone services may be limited or overwhelmed, so you should arrange with someone outside your area to be your family contact. Choose someone away from B.C. or U.S. coastal areas. This is a way for your family, who may be in different locations, to connect with each other. The out of area contact can take messages and inform family members of current information about each other. 
An important step in family preparedness is the identification of hazards in your home. Did you know the majority of residential structural damage is caused by homes sliding off their foundations during major earthquakes. It is also relatively easy for mobile homes to be thrown off its supports during an earthquake. A major earthquake has the potential for causing substantial damage to your possessions. 
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