When emergencies and disasters happen, it may take some time for help to reach you. Prepare yourself and your family by having the following items ready before an emergency or disaster strikes:
- 72-hour emergency kit
- Household emergency plan
- Helping kids prepare for emergencies
- Pet safety plan
Your 72-hour emergency kit should have the following items:
- Water (2 litres per person per day for three days)
- Non-perishable food including canned goods, energy bars and dried food
- Can opener
- Flashlight
- Candles
- Waterproof matches
- Batteries
- Radio, either wind-up or battery powered
- First aid kit
- Sanitation supplies
- Small tools
- Charging cables for electronic devices
- Extra keys for your home and vehicle
- Cash in the form of small bills and change
- A change of clothes
- Important personal documents
You can then tailor your kit depending on your personal situation.
You may consider including the following items:
- Prescription medicine
- Infant formula
- Diapers
- Toys or books
- Equipment for people with disabilities
- Pet food and water
- Bug spray
- Blankets
- Garbage bags
- Duct tape
- A whistle
- Hand sanitizer
- Toiletries
- Small tools
- Small fuel operated stove and fuel
Think about your pets when you develop your family's emergency plan. Things to keep in mind during an emergency or disaster are:
- Don't leave your pet(s) behind, even if you think you will only be away from your house for a few hours. The best way to protect your pet in an emergency is to bring it with you. If you have exotic animals, fish, or birds, remember your home may lose power in the event of an emergency.
- Post stickers on your home. If you own pets, it is wise to place stickers on the main entrances to your home to alert emergency responders to the number and location of pets in your house. If you have evacuated with your pets due to emergency, write "evacuated" on your door sticker.
- Emergency Kit: Include pet supplies in your family's emergency kit, such as:
- Veterinary and vaccination records
- Pet food for at least 72 hours
- Your pet's medications
- An extra collar and leash
- Blankets
- Toys and treats
- Kennels or carriers
- Disinfectants and plastic bags for waste disposal
- Water and water bowls
- Cat litter
- A recent photo
- Contact information for your vet.
Be sure to check the contents of your kit twice a year and replace food and water every two to three months.
- Emergency accommodations: make plans in advance about where your pet can go in an emergency. Establish an out-of-area contact who can care for your pet during an emergency.
- Ensure your pet is licensed. If you and your pet get separated during an emergency, a licence will help reunite you.
- Make plans in advance with a neighbour or family member to evacuate your pet if you cannot during an emergency or disaster.
- Do not let your pet off-leash during an emergency or disaster as they may be scared and may behave unpredictably.
- If you must leave your pet at home during an emergency, be sure to leave behind plenty of food and water for your pet, post a sign notifying first responders that there are pets in your house and how many, and post your evacuation location and contact information on the entrances to your house so you and your pet can be reunited.
- Know the hazards in your area
- Have a list of emergency contacts with you at all times
- Safely store copies of important documents in a safe, dry location where you can easily find it in an emergency
- Have homeowner's or tenant's insurance
- Build a 72-hour emergency kit
- In an emergency or disaster, follow the instructions of responders or other City officials by following the City of Winnipeg on Twitter and Facebook
- During and after an emergency or disaster, the City will provide information to residents through local media, social media, and on the City's website.
- Know the hazards in your area
- Assess potential impacts of utility service interruptions and building system failures, and create plans to deal with utility service interruptions and building system failures
- Prevent and mitigate hazards where possible
- Develop an emergency plan for your building, including considerations for:
- Evacuation and relocation of tenants - including considerations for accessibility such as evacuation chairs
- Security and access control
- Fire watch: if a building loses power, the landlord or property manager is responsible for setting up a fire watch
- Clean-up and restoration
- Alternate power
- After-hours contact information for staff who will respond to an emergency
- Methods to communicate with your tenants, before, during, and after an emergency
- Have a list of emergency service contacts for your building
- Engage your tenant community in preparing for emergencies by hosting preparedness sessions and handing out materials to help tenants prepare for emergencies and disasters
An emergency or disaster can impact any business which can prevent it from continuing normal operations. Take action to build resilience within your operations to be prepared for any emergency - this could include back up suppliers, a rainy-day fund or strong community connections to assist during crisis.
You should also consider developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is intended to minimize the impacts of business activity disruptions.
A BCP will assist businesses in identifying essential/critical services, when and how they need to be delivered (equipment, data, personnel, facilities, etc.), and how employees will respond when there is a disruption. In it, you should identify risks and hazards to your business operations.
Your plan should consider:
- Employees
- Facilities
- Systems
- Products and services
- Insurance
- Community engagement
Conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) ensure operational resilience and continuity of operations during and after a disruption. Information gathered from a Business Impact Analysis will formulate the tasks, procedures, and organization required to work through a disruption, and will improve a business's ability to minimize losses, meet obligations, and build confidence from the people who depend on a service. A thorough BCP should also include details for returning to a normal state-of-operations after a disruption.
A Guide to Business Continuity Planning provides a summary and general advice for Business Continuity Planning.