Make a plan now for a flu pandemic or any emergency. Figure out what you will do if members of your household have to stay home from work or school, or are separated from others for a while. Keep extra supplies of food, water, medications, and your disaster supply kit on hand.

Create Your Family Plan

Emergency situations can happen anytime. An emergency might be a flood, an ice storm, a tornado, an electrical storm, a power outage, a water supply problem, a chemical spill, or even a pandemic. They disrupt our lives, and cause fear and anxiety.

In the event of an emergency, you should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family.

Learning how to prepare for emergencies is the first step.

You can start by naming the risks you are most likely to face. Think about how they might affect your family.

Prepare your home

• Keep important papers, lists and photographs in a safe deposit box
• Buy an “ABC”-type fire extinguisher and check it regularly
• Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, and check they are working each month
• Install a carbon monoxide detector and check it regularly
• Buy flashlights or other emergency lighting, batteries and a battery-operated radio
• Avoid candles – they can be a fire hazard
• Make your house address number clearly visible
• Locate the water heater, electrical and gas shut offs in your home, and mark them with labelled tape.
• Make sure your sump pump is working, and consider purchasing a battery back-up for your pump

Create your emergency supply kit

A simple emergency kit that’s easily accessible, portable and stocked with all of the essentials can make a big difference during an emergency.

Contact

For more information about influenza or how to protect yourself, call the Huron County Health Unit at 519.482.3416 or toll free at 1.877.837.6143.