Are you ready for a winter emergency?
Winter in Canada can be exhilarating and beautiful, but if you've ever lost power to your home during an ice storm or waited in a snowbank for a tow truck to rescue your car, you're all too familiar with the perils this chilly season can bring.
Home, Safe Home
Public Safety Canada recommends that all Canadians have a properly stocked emergency preparedness kit in their homes. The kit should contain all the supplies your family needs to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours of an emergency, while rescue workers help those in immediate need.
Your family's emergency preparedness kit should be easy to carry, so if you have to leave your home to go somewhere safer, you can bring your supplies with you.
Public Safety Canada recommends all home emergency preparedness kits contain:
- Water - two litres of water per person per day (include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order)
- Food - that won't spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
- Manual can opener
- Flashlight and batteries
- Battery-powered or wind-up radio (and extra batteries)
- First-aid kit
- Special needs items - prescription medications, infant formula or equipment for people with disabilities
- Extra keys - for your car and house
- Cash - include smaller bills, such as $10 bills (travellers cheques are also useful) and change for payphones
You may also want to include:
- Change of clothing and footwear - for each household member
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket - for each household member
- A whistle - in case you need to attract attention
- Garbage bags - for personal sanitation
- Toilet paper and other personal care supplies
- Safety gloves
- Basic tools - hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, fasteners, work gloves
- Small fuel-driven stove and fuel - follow manufacturer's directions and store properly
- Two additional litres of water per person per day - for cooking and cleaning
- Copies of personal documents - such as passport and birth certificate
- Candles and matches or lighter
Provided by Public Safety Canada
Public Safety Canada also recommends you include a copy of your family's emergency plan that details how your family will respond in an emergency, including what your family will do, where they will meet and special needs they have. Be sure to include contact information for your insurance company and policy numbers, in case your home is damaged and you are unable to return.
Off-Roading
Canada is known for its treacherous winter driving conditions. Driving to accommodate for the weather and a set of snow tires can go a long way in keeping you on the road this winter. Unfortunately, slips, skids and dead batteries happen to even the best drivers. Having an emergency kit in your car not only helps you get out of a jam, but could come in handy the next time you see someone stranded.
Public Safety Canada recommends including the following in your emergency car kit:
- Food - that won't spoil, such as energy bars
- Water - in plastic bottles so they won't break if frozen (change every six months)
- Blanket
- Extra clothing and shoes
- First-aid kit - with seatbelt cutter
- Small shovel, scraper and snowbrush
- Candle in a deep can and matches
- Wind-up flashlight
- Whistle - in case you need to attract attention
- Road maps
- Copy of your emergency plan and personal documents
- Sand, salt or cat litter (non clumping) for traction
- Antifreeze/windshield washer fluid
- Tow rope
- Jumper cables
- Fire extinguisher
- Warning light or road flares
Provided by Public Safety Canada
An emergency kit only works if you know how to use it! Familiarize yourself with all of the items in your kit before you need to use them. Also, know the roads you travel. If you ever have to call for assistance, a tow truck driver can find you much faster if you know the name of the road you're travelling and nearby landmarks.
We've got you covered
We hope you have a safe and happy winter season, but if you ever do need to make a claim for your OTIP home or auto insurance, our representatives will counsel you every step of the way, ensuring you understand how your claim will affect your rates and other options that may be available to you.
The checklists in this article are not official versions, nor were they made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Government of Canada. Visit www.getprepared.gc.ca for more information.