Make a plan
There are key steps to take to prepare yourself, your family and friends for emergencies in Oak Bay.
The first step towards personal emergency preparedness is to make an emergency plan with your household and family. This includes knowing the risks in the area you live, planning at least two escape routes, having an out-of-area contact person and more. Some additional tips include:
Have Grab & Go Bags ready for each person in the house, including your pets.
Make a list of all your important contact information and copy any important documents, including insurance policies that you will need during and after the emergency.
Listen to the radio and trusted social media for information on what do to and where to go during an emergency.
Extend your plan to places where you regularly spend your time, including office, school, daycare and playground.
Prepare your Grab and Go Bag
You should always have a Grab & Go Bag ready for each member of your family family in case you need to evacuate your home quickly. This kit contains the basic items to meet your needs for 6-12 hours and should be checked yearly.
- A copy of your emergency plan
- Medications, copies of prescriptions
- Copies of important documents, identification & contact Information
- Recent pictures of yourself, family and pets
- Extra keys for house & car
- Cash—coins and small bills
- Chargers and adapters for phones and other electronics you have included in your bag.
- Supplies for equipment required to meet your functional needs
- Pens and paper
- Sturdy shoes
- One liter of water
- High-energy snacks
- Flashlight & batteries
- Battery or wind-up radio
- Spare eyeglasses
- Small first aid kit
- Comfort item (eg., small stuffy for children, deck of card, lip balm etc.)
- Emergency blanket
- Warm clothing (sweater, socks…)
- Scarf or dust mask
- Whistle
- Orange garbage bag
Vehicle Kits
A vehicle kit is in addition to your personal grab & go kits. It should include such items as booster cables, everything you need to change a tire, a tow line, flashlight and batteries, maps, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, basic tools, gloves and sturdy shoes.
Find more information and resources to help you get started on your Grab and Go Bag with Prepared BC.
Home Emergency Kit
Be prepared for you and your family to be self-sufficient for a minimum of 7 days! This enables you to shelter in or near your home. This kit can include:
- Water – minimum of 4 liters of drinkable water per person, per day
- Emergency food – 7 days of meals for everyone in your household
Make sure everyone in your home knows where the kits are kept. Check the contents regularly and replace outdated items.
For more information and resources to help you Build your Emergency Kit, visit Prepared BC.
Practice your Plan!
Practice your plan with your family at least once a year. Include a fire drill and an earthquake drill as part of your practice session. If you are near a tsunami inundation zone, know what to do.
Fire Extinguisher Training
We all own them, but can we operate them effectively and safely when we need to? This 60-minute interactive workshop includes instruction, a video and hands on practice. All materials and equipment are provided.
This workshop is available to any Oak Bay groups of 6 or more people. To book your date and time contact Jolette Schenk, OBEP Manager (obep@oakbay.ca) or Brad Scott, Fire Prevention Officer (bscott@oakbay.ca).
These workshops are delivered at the Oak Bay Fire Hall at 1703 Monterey Ave.