Emergency Kits

Plan Ahead

Keep originals of important documents in a safe deposit box, and make two copies of each document. Keep one set of copies in a waterproof, fire-resistant, portable container in your home and give the other set to an out-of-town relative or friend.

Include:

  • Wills, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, vehicle titles, stocks and bonds
  • Passports, driver's licenses, work identification badges, social security cards, immunization records
  • List of bank account names and numbers and credit card names and numbers
  • Inventory of valuable household goods
  • Important telephone and cell phone numbers
  • Family records (birth, marriage, adoption, and death certificates)
  • For your pets, vaccination and veterinary records, photo of pet and you together.
  • Pet Evacuation Emergency Checklist (PDF)

Prepare Emergency Kits

Basic Emergency Kit

Keep in a backpack or duffel bag near your door, in a convenient place known to all family members.

  • A portable radio or television and extra batteries (or hand-crank radios)
  • Flashlight and extra batteries, or hand-crank flashlight
  • First aid kit and first aid manual
  • Supply of prescription medications, and copy of prescription
  • Credit card and cash
  • Personal identification
  • An extra set of car keys
  • Matches in a waterproof container
  • Signal flare
  • Map of the area and telephone numbers of places you could go
  • Hearing aid batteries, spare wheelchair battery, spare eyeglasses, or other physical needs.
  • Diapers and infant formula

Emergency Food and Water Kit

  • At least two litres of drinking water per person per day
  • Canned food: soups, stews, baked beans, pasta, meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits
  • Crackers and biscuits, energy bars and dried foods
  • Honey, peanut butter, syrup, jam, salt and pepper, sugar, instant coffee, tea
  • Knives, forks, spoons, cups and plates
  • Manual can opener, bottle opener

Emergency Evacuation Kit

In an easy to carry, labelled container, enough for 72 hours: Basic emergency kit and emergency food and water kit plus,

  • Cooking fuel;
  • Household liquid bleach to treat drinking water; sugar, salt, pepper; aluminium foil; plastic resealable bags
  • One complete change of clothing and footwear for each family member, sturdy shoes or work boots, rain gear, hat and gloves, thermal underwear, sunglasses
  • Blankets or sleeping bag for each family member
  • Paper, pencil; needles and thread; pliers, duct tape; medicine dropper; whistle; plastic sheeting; small canister;
  • Sanitation and hygiene items: toilet paper, towelettes; soap, hand sanitizer, liquid detergent; feminine supplies; shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb and brush, lip balm; plastic garbage bags (heavy-duty) and ties (for personal sanitation uses); medium-sized plastic bucket with tight lid; disinfectant; household chlorine bleach;
  • Entertainment, such as games and books

Home Emergency Kit

Basic Emergency Kit and Evacuation Kit plus,

  • Wrench to turn off household gas and water. Keep it near the shut-off valves.
  • A week's supply of non perishable food and water.
  • Additional blankets and sleeping bags.

Car Kit

  • Food that won't spoil (such as energy bars)
  • Water
  • Blanket
  • Extra clothing and shoes
  • Matches, and a candle in a deep can (to warm hands, heat a drink or use as an emergency light)
  • First aid kit
  • Seatbelt cutter
  • Warning light or road flares
  • Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
  • List of contact numbers
  • Tow rope
  • Booster cables
  • Sand, salt or cat litter (non clumping)
  • Traction mats
  • Fire extinguisher
  • Compass
  • Cloth or roll of paper towels
  • Road maps, whistle and flashlight
  • Axe or hatchet

Find out more on how to create your own Emergency Preparedness Plan and 72 Hour Kit.

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