Emergency Preparedness is Everyone’s Responsibility

Do you know what to do in an emergency such as a severe storm, major power outage or a fire?

It’s up to each of us to know what to do and how to prepare for an emergency and to be prepared to manage on our own for up to 72 hours in the event of a major emergency. Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber know that the safety of our community members is paramount, whether at home or at work. With more of us working from home or other remote locations, it is more important than ever to ensure we are all prepared for any type of emergency that may occur no matter where we are.

Do you have an emergency plan for your household? Do you have an emergency kit in your vehicle? Is there a person in your home with a disability or special needs? Have you considered what they may need during an emergency?

It may seem overwhelming but creating a household emergency plan and putting together an emergency kit for home and vehicle is relatively easy. You can create an emergency plan for your family in less than 30 minutes with some simple guidelines and tools.

Putting together an emergency kit can also be an easy and fun family activity. If you have children, include them in the process and explain why we need to be prepared. Don’t forget about people with disabilities or special needs, elderly family members and your pets!

Emergency Management Ontario has some guidelines for creating emergency plans and kits. Click the links below for more information.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/be-prepared-emergency

https://www.ontario.ca/page/emergency-preparedness-guide-people-disabilities-or-special-needs

Public Safety Canada has videos outlining how to create emergency plans and kits as well, including vehicle kits.

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/vds/mk-pln/index-en.aspx

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/vds/bld-kt/index-en.aspx

https://www.getprepared.gc.ca/cnt/kts/cr-kt-en.aspx

Remember, it’s up to each of us to know what to do in an emergency and be able to manage for up to 72 hours on our own. Being personally prepared to manage on our own will help take some of the burden off emergency services, who can focus on those who need assistance the most.

If you would like more information on how you can prepare for an emergency or how to create your own emergency plan or kit, please contact Kathy Branton, Manager, Business Continuity and Emergency Management, Humber College at kathy.branton@humber.ca.