Emergency Preparedness

Are you prepared?

Know the risks. Make a plan. Have a kit.

Make a Plan:

Make a household emergency plan. Discuss with all family and household members what you will do in the event of an emergency.

Check your insurance:

  • Coverage is available for most major disasters including fire, lightning strikes, windstorms, hail, tornadoes, and others

  • Make sure your policy includes sewer back-up insurance

  • Keep a detailed paper and/or video inventory of your home or business and keep it in your emergency kit

  • Keep all your important documents in a safe location that is easily available
 

  • Be aware that government disaster recovery programs will not compensate for damage and loss for which insurance was readily and reasonably available before the disaster occurred

Audit your home:

  • Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors

  • Make sure no flammable materials are kept near electrical equipment or your furnace

  • Check for frayed electrical cords or overloaded circuits

  • Identify all potential exits

  • Learn how to turn off your water and electricity safely 

  • Locate safe rooms in your home

A woman and a young girl are organizing emergency supplies on a kitchen counter. The supplies include water bottles, canned food, a first aid kit, soap, and clothing. The background features wooden cabinets and modern kitchen appliances.
A checklist for emergency preparedness, including tips for making a plan, checking insurance, auditing the home, and preparing a kit with essential items. A photo of a table with packed emergency supplies, such as bottles of water, canned food, flashlights, and a backpack, is visible at the bottom.
Cover of a directory titled "Mental Health Resources" by Athabaska Tribal Council, featuring a silhouette of a head with a heart and heartbeat line inside, set against a light green background.

Emergency Update Resources:

Wildfires: Fort McMurray Area Update

Evacuation Information: RMWB

Resource Links:

Get Prepared - Government of Canada

Emergency Preparedness - Government of Alberta

Make an Emergency Plan

Emergency Kit Checklist

Emergency Kit Checklist - Pets

Emergency Kit Checklist - Vehicles

Emergency Preparedness Farm Animals

A wooden table covered with various emergency supplies including canned food, bottled water, medications, medical supplies, hygiene products, and a backpack, in a living room with a gray sofa and bookshelf in the background.

Prepare a Kit

Basic Items:

  • Water - two litres of water per person per day

  • Food - canned, package or non-perishable food for each member

  • Wind up or battery-powered flashlight

  • First aid kit

  • Extra keys for your car and house

  • Cash, travelers' cheques and change

  • Important family documents

Additional Items:

  • Candles and matches or lighter (place in a sturdy container)

  • Change of clothing and footwear for each household member

  • Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each household member

  • Toiletries and personal hygiene items

  • Hand sanitizer, toilet paper and garbage bags

  • Prepaid phone card and/or mobile phone charger

  • Pet food and supplies

  • Infant formula, baby food and supplies

  • Activities for children like books, puzzles or toys

  • Prescription medication and medical equipment

  • Utensils, plates and cups

  • Household chlorine bleach or water purifying tablets

  • Basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, work gloves. and pocketknife)

  • Small fuel-operated stove and fuel

  • Whistle

  • Duct tape

Vehicle Kit:

  • Sleeping bags or blankets

  • Small shovel, scraper, and snowbrush

  • Roadmaps

  • Sand, salt, or non-clumping kitty litter

  • Tow rope

  • Anti-freeze/windshield washer fluid

  • Jumper cables

  • Warning light or road flares

  • Traction mat

  • Compass

  • Roll of paper towels

  • Axe or hatchet

  • Methyl hydrate (for fuel line and windshield de-icing)

  • All-purpose fire extinguisher (rated A-B-C)

Fire Smart

Home Ignition Zone

FireSmart Canada's wildfire safety zone infographic showing three zones around a community: immediate zone in red, intermediate zone in orange, and extended zone in green, with guidelines for fire prevention and mitigation for each zone.
Diagram of fire danger zones around a house in forested area, with red 'Immediate Zone' (0 to 1.5 meters), orange 'Intermediate Zone' (1.5 to 10 meters), and green 'Extended Zone' (10 to 30 meters).
Diagram of home ignition zones around a house in a forest, showing three zones: Immediate zone (0-1.5 meters), Intermediate zone (1.5-10 meters), and Extended zone (10-30 meters), with guidelines for wildfire risk reduction.

Click on the links below to get more information about the zones.

EXTENDED ZONE
INTERMEDIATE ZONE
IMMEDIATE ZONE