Make an Emergency Plan

The best way to increase your chances of surviving an emergency is to prepare a plan in advance and make sure all family members are familiar with it. That way, everyone has a say and everyone knows the plan. Post your plan in a common location where everyone can see and find it in an emergency.

The following simple steps will help ensure you’re prepared when an emergency strikes:

1. Have an emergency preparedness kit and make sure everyone knows where to find it.
2. Determine the best escape routes from every room in your home. Make sure all family members know how to get out in case of fire, flood or other disaster.
3. Decide on a neighbourhood meeting place. If disaster strikes the home while family members are at school or work, you need a pre-arranged meeting place where everyone knows to gather.
4. Appoint an out-of-town contact. Choose a good friend or family member who lives far away to be the go-to contact person to check in with during an emergency. In case you can’t regroup close to home, a remote contact can help relay messages between family members and act as a bridge to the outside world.
5. Make sure all family members know the plan and have a full list of contact details for workplaces, schools, day cares and family friends.

Share this information with a trusted neighbour, just in case you can’t get to your home in an emergency.