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Learn to be disaster ready

Being prepared to cope in an emergency on your own involves three things: Know the risks, Make a plan, Get an emergency kit.
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A 72-hour emergency kit is easy to make for each family member with essential items and a duffel bag to store them.

Being prepared to cope in an emergency on your own involves three things: Know the risks, Make a plan, Get an emergency kit.

To help locals get ready, emergency social services groups are hosting an Emergency Preparedness Public Information Session to talk about how they prepare and explain how to develop a family emergency plan and other important things to know at 7 p.m. tonight, April 30, at the sportsplex.

In any emergency, being prepared and knowing what to do is the most important step.

Relief workers will be on scene after an emergency but can’t reach everyone immediately and electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and phones may be cut off for days, weeks, or longer.

The idea is to have enough supplies for at least 72 hours of food, water and other essentials for each member of your family, including pets.

Even better is to have enough for seven to 14 days.

And  have a grab-and-go kit ready in case of evacuation for each family member, pets included, which is a pared down version.

Basic items you will need to survive for 72 hours include water, at least two litres per person per day; food that won’t spoil (canned food, energy bars, dried foods); manual can opener; flashlight and batteries; candles and matches or lighter; battery-powered or wind-up radio and extra batteries; First Aid Kit and any prescription medications; extra  car and house keys; cash in small bills, travellers cheques and change for pay phones and a copy of your emergency plan and contact information.