If a disaster or emergency occurs it can be difficult, in the stress of the moment, to ensure that you have everything you need and want close at hand in case you need to leave quickly. Emergency Management BC has issued a list of tips to help British Columbians be prepared in the event of an emergency.
The most important thing to remember is to stay calm, listen to local public officials, and if possible, access online social media channels like the Emergency Info BC Twitter page for information updates.
In the event that an Evacuation Alert is issued for your area, you should be prepared to leave your home on short notice. Stay tuned to your local authority’s public information channels, as well as Emergency Info BC for updates (http://www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca).
Make sure that you have an emergency kit and important documents—such as insurance documents and personal papers (passports, birth certificates, medical and social insurance cards)—ready to go. You should also pack several days’-worth of clothing and any medicine or prescriptions that household members need.
If you have children, pack comfort items, like a favourite toy, as well as things to help keep them busy. If you have pets, make sure a pet carrier is close at hand and have leashes and pet food ready to go. Consider collecting precious photos and mementoes that cannot be replaced, and having them ready in a box.
If you can, please check in on any family, friends, or neighbours who may need a helping hand due to mobility or other issues.
In the event of an Evacuation Order, you must leave the area immediately. Local authorities will not ask you to leave without good reason, and failing to leave when asked to by officials puts yourself and others at risk.
When an Evacuation Order is issued, collect family members, or go to the place designated in your family plan as a meeting place. Plan to take your pets with you; do not leave them behind. Because pets are not permitted in public shelters, your family plan should include going to a relative or friend’s home, or finding a pet-friendly hotel.
Grab your emergency kit and follow the directions to the identified reception centre. Before you leave your house, close all doors and windows. Close and latch gates, but do not lock them. If there is time and it is safe to do so, shut off water at the main line into your home, and switch off electricity at the breaker panel. Leave natural gas service on.
If you go to an evacuation centre, sign up with the registration desk so you can be contacted or reunited with your family and loved ones. Contact your out-of-area emergency contact to let them know what has happened, that you are okay, and how to contact you. Alert them if there are any family members who have become separated.
For more information about being prepared in the event of an emergency, go to Emergency Info BC’s website at http://bit.ly/2ndfXVG.