Is your family prepared?

Disasters may be beyond our control, but by taking some simple steps, you can be better prepared to protect yourself and your family during an emergency.

Step 1: Make a plan

Every household should have an emergency plan. Your family’s emergency plan should identify:

• Safe exits from your home
• Meeting places to reunite with your family
• Any special health needs of your family members
• Contact information for your family members, family doctor, insurance company, etc.
• The location of your emergency kit, fire extinguisher, electrical panel, and water and gas valves
• A plan for your household pet(s)

Need help getting started? We recommend creating your family’s emergency plan using the Government of Canada’s free online tool. Your plan should take less than 20 minutes to create and can be saved or printed out. Remember to keep your plan in an easy-to-remember place – or print multiple copies of the plan to leave at work and in your car.

Step 2: Get an emergency kit

In an emergency, you will need some basic supplies. These supplies should be organized in a backpack, duffle bag, or wheeled bin and stored in an accessible location, such as your front hall closet. Your emergency kit should include the following items:

• Water – at least two liters per person per day
• Extra batteries
• Non-perishable food items
• Extra keys to your car and house
• A manual can opener
• Some cash in smaller bills
• A crank or battery-powered flashlight
• A copy of your family’s emergency plan
• A crank or battery-powered radio
• If applicable, prescription medicine, infant formula, medical equipment, and pet food
• First aid kit

Creating your emergency kit doesn’t need to be expensive. You can start by buying a few items today and commit to building your kit over time. Need help getting started? We recommend checking out the City of Toronto’s tips for preparing your family on a budget.

Step 3: Be informed

Lastly, be prepared by being informed. There are several ways that you can be aware of hazards, risks, and potential emergencies in our community:

1. Monitor your telephone, radio, or wireless device for emergency alerts from “Alert Ready”
   Alert Ready is Canada’s emergency alerting system. This system is designed to deliver critical and potentially life-saving alerts to all Canadians. Upon receiving an alert, take immediate action to protect you and your family.
2. Subscribe to receive preparedness information and tips from the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management
   In Ontario, you can subscribe to receive emergency information and seasonal preparedness tips by email or text. Click here to learn more about this service.
3. Follow social media
   You can follow @OntarioWarnings on Twitter and Emergency Management Ontario on Facebook to stay informed!

~This post was updated Jan. 15, 2020.

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Everywhere you look, there is chaos. Some people have severe burns, and other clutch at deep wounds on their arms and legs. Dozens more wander around in shock, disoriented and withdrawn. Even some first responders have been injured by the intensity of the blast, which has rocked a 25-story apartment building and everyone in it. It’s hard to know where to begin to help, but luckily, that’s exactly the reason for this mock disaster.

Welcome to Sunnybrook’s mass exercise, which this year recreated the Wellesley Fire, a massive 6-alarm blaze that gutted a Toronto highrise in 2010. Several Ontario hospitals, and a wide array of health care disciplines came together to play out the horrifying scenes on a cool Saturday in March. “SARS really put emergency preparedness on the forefront of our minds,” says Dr. Laurie Mazurik, the grand maestro of this event (known officially as the Strategic Lead of Sunnybrook’s Disaster Emergency Preparedness). “It made me and others think we certainly need to prepare for future events, as this wouldn’t be the last.”

So, as if in a Hollywood movie set, the cast was prepared well in advance. Actors were given their roles, and played them out on a specially designated floor at Centennial College. This giant disaster playhouse was mocked up to include an emergency room, critical care unit, mini operating room, family information area and command centre. And let me tell you, with people screaming, crying and made up to look truly injured, it was easy to forget this was just a training exercise. But that’s a good thing. When preparing for the worst-case scenario, after all, you want to bring out the best in people.

The idea of disaster training was born here at Sunnybrook in 2004, and started out as an engaging simulation exercise for medical residents. But as the popularity of the event grew, so did the realization this was a great way to prioritize speedy care and smooth patient flow. It has since grown to include preparation for terrorist attacks, mass pandemics, school shootings and even the G8 Summit, and will be used in advance of the 2015 Pan Am Games.

Pardon the pun, but it all goes to show that practice makes perfect, even in the most imperfect of circumstances.

The post Cue the disaster: Preparing for an emergency scenario appeared first on Your Health Matters.