Helping others in an emergency

Coping during an emergency is easier if children and those with disabilities have practised it before.

Helping children

If there are children in your household, prepare them by rehearsing your family’s home escape plan and explaining why you’re practising. Children who practise will likely not be as scared when a real emergency happens.

Support your children in an emergency by:

• Staying calm. The calmer you are, the calmer they’ll be.
• Telling them what’s happening. Give them information they’ll understand.
• Acknowledging their worries and fears.

If you must evacuate, bring along a favourite toy or game to provide comfort and to keep your kids busy.

Helping people with disabilities

Emergencies can be extra challenging for seniors and people with disabilities.

If there’s a person with a disability in your household:

• Rehearse your emergency plan.
• Post a list of the disabled person's needs where emergency responders will see it, such as the fridge door.
• Share the disabled person’s contact information with friends, family, or neighbours and arrange back-up for emergency notifications (for example, a neighbour who will phone in an emergency).

Consider adding these items to a disabled person’s 72-hour emergency kit:

• 7-10 days of medications and a list of prescriptions
• cooler for medications that need to be kept cool (be sure your freezer is stocked with ice for the cooler)
• extra oxygen tank
• assistive walking devices such as canes or walkers
• breathing equipment plus a generator or a back-up power supply
• extra batteries for hearing aids
• extra dentures and denture cleaner