How to prepare for an emergency in your community: Health Unit
Emergencies can happen at any time and without warning.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is hosting Emergency Preparedness Week to encourage the public to prepare themselves and their families for emergencies.
"Preparedness goes a long way to help people cope better during and after a minor emergency or a major disaster. It can also help you reduce the impact on your family and property," stated the health unit.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Emergencies can take many forms, from natural disasters like fires and extreme weather to infrastructure and social crises.
The health unit is providing guidelines to help the community prepare for different situations.
- Knowing the risks specific to your community and region helps you prepare for emergencies. The local municipality's website has information to help you further understand the risks in your area.
- Creating an emergency plan for your family is a vital step in preparedness. This plan should include identifying a safe meeting place for household members, providing emergency contact information for neighbours and friends, and creating designated evacuation routes for your home and neighbourhood.
- Preparing an emergency kit that includes basic supplies to sustain you for at least 72 hours in case of a power outage or tap water unavailability. Your emergency kit should comprise of a flashlight, radio with extra batteries, bottled water, canned and packaged foods that won't spoil, and prescription medications. It's important to ensure your kit is easy to carry and can accommodate pets.
The complete list of emergency items is available on the health unit's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Israel sends tanks into Rafah on raids amid Gaza-wide offensive
Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah in defiance of the World Court for a second day on Wednesday, after Washington said the assault did not amount to a major ground operation in the southern Gazan city that U.S. officials have warned Israel to avoid.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Five more Ontario school boards join lawsuit against social media platforms
Five additional Ontario school boards and two independent private schools have joined a lawsuit against the owners of multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.