If there were a disaster, would you be prepared to ‘fend for yourself’ for twenty-four hours? Last month, when the power was out for a short, thirty-minute burst in our area, it was near the end of the world for the kids - and I have to admit, I was a little under prepared myself.
May 1-7, 2016 is Emergency Preparedness Week, and this year, Duracell and the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs (CAFC) have teamed up to remind Canadians that everyone needs to be prepared in an emergency. We are part of the 53% of Canadians that haven’t prepared an emergency kit to sustain ourselves for seventy-two hours after an emergency.
The day the power went out, there was a solid three percent left on my phone, so I wasn’t even sure what time it was - let alone able to access my phone in the case of an emergency. Being forced to think about it, I realized in the case of a ‘real’ emergency we had a couple of glow sticks leftover in the garage from camping season, a flashlight that was probably without batteries and candles somewhere in the cupboard leftover from a birthday party, along with a couple of cases of water that we stock up on for the vehicle and drinking, on a regular basis.
Sure, there is easily a few days worth of food left in the pantry, but unless we’re going to snack on dry cereal that we stocked up on during the last Airmiles promotion and the case of coconut milk, we’re going to have to up our game.
Where do you Start?
Visit www.getprepared.gc.ca and use this list from Duracell to make sure you’ve got everything you need in your emergency kit. Chances are, you’ve already got a few of these items in your house. Work with the kids to teach about emergency preparedness, and cross off the rest of those essential items.
Did you know? People who are prepared to sustain themselves for at least 72 hours after a disaster make it easier for first responders to help those who urgently need it – and this has a significant impact not only on their own survival, but the survival of friends and neighbours.
Win an Emergency Kit for Your Home
We’ve teamed up with Duracell to bring you an emergency kit to help you get prepared. Included in the kit is: Duracell Quantum batteries, Flashlights, Radio, First aid kit, Multi tool, Can opener, Dusk mask, Duct tape, Emergency blanket and whistle. Enter for your chance to win, below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post has been brought to you by Duracell, all opinions are my own.