Downtown Sydney

Emergency Preparedness

Emergencies can occur any time, anywhere - hurricanes, winter storms and power outages. Be prepared for 72 hours, protect yourself during an emergency and know what to do after an emergency.

Before an Emergency

Planning and preparing before an emergency is essential for keeping your household safe. Taking simple steps now can reduce risks, limit damage to your home and property and make it easier to recover once the danger has passed.

Know the Risks

Some hazards are more likely to pose a risk to our community than others. Examples of common hazards affecting CBRM include: 

  • Severe weather, including hurricanes, tropical storms, winter storms, ice storms and occasionally extreme heat. 
  • Utility outages, including telecommunications and electrical power outages, especially if you require power for home medical devices. 
  • Fires, including urban and wildland fires. 
  • Coastal and overland flooding, storm surge. 
  • Accidents, including those involving hazardous material. 

Make a Plan

It will take you about 20 minutes to Make an Emergency Plan online. You can then print it out. Before starting, you will need to think about: 

  • Safe exits from home and neighbourhood 
  • Meeting places to reunite with family or roommates 
  • Designated person to pick up children should you be unavailable 
  • Contact persons close by and out of town 
  • Health and insurance information 
  • Places for your pet to stay 
  • Risks in your region 
  • Location of your fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical panel, gas valve and floor drain

Get an Emergency Kit

Assemble a kit using a checklist from Get Prepared, or you can buy an emergency kit online or in various stores across Canada. Your kit should include: 

  • Two litres of water per person per day (including small bottles) 
  • Food that won’t spoil 
  • 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, travellers’ cheques and change 
  • Important family documents such as identification, insurance and bank records 
  • Emergency plan - include a copy in your kit as well as contact information

Important Numbers