13 Nov

Emergency Planning, Severe Weather & Floods

10 Tips to Get Your Vehicle Prepared

November 9, 2023
Posted by Zenia Platten
0 comments

People spend A LOT of time in their vehicles. Whether you’re commuting in your car, running the kids to school, spending the day in your work truck, or traveling the country with your RV or motorcycle, you’re relying on your vehicle to keep you safe. Today we’ll be covering 10 handy tips on what you can do to maximize your safety on the road and in emergencies.

BONUS TIP: The biggest and best thing each and everyone of us can do is to drive safely in the first place. No tail-gating, no excessive speeding, full stops, and all that other good stuff that we learned when we were 16. This mostly involves following the law and common courtesy though, so I’m going to assume it doesn’t need to be a fully-fledged tip.

Why Now?

Because the Starks are right: Winter is coming. While Canadian winters might not involve White Walkers or unsatisfying finales, they are still a force to be reckoned with. Drivers are at the most risk in snowy, cold, or icy weather due to slippery roads, poor visibility, accidents, and road closures/breakdowns.

Man touches his snow covered vehicle

Holiday travel adds another layer to our usual commutes, taking us further from home and creating congestion in busy areas. Throw in Holiday shoppers and suddenly traffic is nightmarish! Even if you’re doing everything right it only takes a rogue storm to close some more rural roads. Remember a couple of years ago when holiday travellers were trapped for 24 hours on the Coquihalla highway due to snow? A little preparedness goes a long way in those situations!

Cars, Trucks, and RVs as Emergency Kits

If you have space in your vehicle, considering keeping some of your shelter in place kit there. An RV is the ultimate survival shelter after all! If your kit is your car than you can be confident it will always be with you when you need it. The sturdy shell will also insulate and protect supplies in particularly rough situations. Keeping the bulk of your kit in your car also minimizes the need for a separate get-home bag, just make sure to have a backpack with the supplies so you can move away from your vehicle with them if need be.

Work Trucks and Company Vehicles

Vehicle preparedness is especially important if you work from a vehicle, or have employees who do. The more time is spent in/around your car, the more prepared one should aim to be. Total Prepare works with transportation companies and organizations with vehicle fleets to make sure that their drivers and passengers are as safe as possible in their cars.

If you manage a fleet let us know – we’ll happily work with you to find solutions that work with your vehicles and budget.

The Tips

1. Be Winter Ready

Cold weather means less visibility, less traction, and fewer people driving with both hands on the wheel (what? They’re cold.) Happily, through the wonders of modern technology and old-fangled ingenuity there’s lots we can do to ready ourselves and our vehicles for these conditions.

vehicle with snow chains on

Winter tires. Do I need to say more? All seasons should be an absolute minimum for this time of year, but if you’re driving up a mountain, through significant snow, or in an area known for ice, please – PLEASE – upgrade to winter tires. Carry chains and a bag of road salt in the trunk too, just in case the tires need support.

I am no stranger to driving with the tiny, clear windshield porthole on a frosty morning. It’s ridiculous, and dangerous, and my mother will have words with me if she ever reads this article. Do my poor old mother’s heart a favour and be better than me. Start early and scrape/un-fog the whole dang thing. (I’m getting better – promise!)

2. Know Disaster Response Routes

Disaster response route sign

Disaster response routes are the most efficient paths for emergency vehicles to take to and from major destinations. They’re often marked with the below sign and are vital arteries for emergency transport in the event of a disaster. Take note of these routes before an emergency happens and avoid them when an event occurs. The more cars that are on these critical roads the more difficult it will be for first responders to get where they’re needed most.

3. Get a Kit

I know we say this a lot, but it’s important: Have a kit everywhere you spend lots of time. For many of us this includes our vehicles. A little food and water, a blanket, and a way of signalling for help (sign, lightstick, or beacon) should be a minimum. Vehicle kits can be more comprehensive than this, but if you’re short on space, keep it simple.

If you’re someone who spends extended time on the move and is not comfortable answering nature’s call at the side of the road, consider adding a Restop to your glove box. The Malahat is a portion of our local highway that is notorious for eternal traffic jams and we’ve had many customers express their appreciation for a portable emergency toilet option!

4. Know How to Use It.

Supplies are only useful if you know how to use them. Many things are self explanatory, like blankets, but others can be more complex. If you pack flameless meal heaters or MREs in your car, for example, test one first to ensure you know what’s what. When you’re stuck on the side of the road is not the best time for trial-and-error learning.

If you have any questions about the use of your supplies please don’t hesitate to call our friendly team. We’re with you every step of the way. If you are near the Victoria area, feel free to drop by our store too and we’ll happily show you how to use items in person. For most supplies we have floor models in store we will happily demonstrate with.

5. Get to Know Your Car

In a perfect world, we would all drive fully functioning, like-new vehicles and maintain them at all times. Fortunately for the auto-mechanic industry, this is not so. Get to know your vehicles quirks, if it has them, so you can pre-empt any related safety issues. For example, when I was in school I couldn’t afford to replace the brakes on my 2000 Chrysler Neon. Knowing this, I could leave a LOT of stopping distance when I drove. My mum’s old car wouldn’t always start when it was cold, so she parked in indoor structures whenever she could. A friend’s car burned through a full tank of coolant in an hour, so she always carried jugs of water as a stop-gap.

… do I just know a lot of people with junk cars?

Man works on vehicle

Getting to know your vehicle also includes learning how to deal with less unique problems. Changing a tire and jump-starting a car are easy fixes that can keep a nuisance from becoming a bigger problem. No one wants to be stranded because they didn’t know how to do a simple fix! Ask friends/parents/neighbours to teach you these skills if you’re not already familiar. I keep notes in my glove box to walk myself through each process, and they’ve been used multiple times!

Vehicle Safety During an Earthquake

Earthquakes aren’t unusual in Canada. While we see the most seismic activity and awareness in BC, there are also active fault lines in Montreal and regular quakes throughout the east coast. As long as you’re not in a tunnel or on a bridge, your car is a pretty safe place to be in a quake. But what can we do to maximize our safety when the ground is shaking?

6. Drive With Caution

If you notice shaking while you’re driving, slow to a stop. Stay in your vehicle until the shaking stops, and do not leave it until there is no shaking for 60 consecutive seconds. If the roads are clear, drive slowly and carefully. People may act erratically as they try to get home to loved ones. Be patient, as roadways may be damaged or clogged.

If the roads are impassable, do your best to pull over, leaving the way as clear as possible for emergency vehicles and road crews. Grab your get-home bag, or the food/water/blanket portions of your vehicle kit, and start walking. We recommend keeping a pair of walking shoes in your car for these situations, especially if your usual footgear involves 4+ inch heels!

7. Avoid Hazards

After a severe earthquake there will be many unusual hazards to watch out for on the road. Some will be predictable – congestion, more emergency vehicles, and downed power lines – but some will seem almost alien in their incongruity – liquification, shattered streets, or huge sinkholes. Make sure that you’re moving slowly enough to stop if any of the above appear in your path.

Road hazard during an earthquake

Driving in a Winter Storm/Blizzard

It wouldn’t be a Canadian winter without at least a few good blowers. It’s our national brand after all! But if you’re caught driving in a bad storm, there are a few things you can do to keep safe, or to stay warm if you’re stranded. We’ve written on this topic before, so check out this post for an in-depth look at snow/vehicle safety.

8. Don’t!

If at all possible, don’t drive in a storm or blizzard. Grab a book and a blanket and snuggle up by the fire instead. The beer run can wait. Stay with friends or offer your couch to guests who would otherwise need to get behind the wheel. In many blizzards visibility can get so bad that even crossing the street can be an opportunity to get lost!

9. Stay in/with Your Vehicle

If you do get stuck/stranded don’t wander into the storm. Your car is shelter and your odds of noticed by others is much greater if you’re with a vehicle. It will also shield you from the wind and snow. Do your best to stay visible with emergency lights and signs so passing cars know you need help.

10. Be Mindful of the Dangers

Even if you are simply taking shelter in your car there are hidden dangers that you need to be wary off – especially if there is heavy snowfall. Running the car to stay warm is great, but if your tailpipe becomes plugged with snow you’ll run a high risk of carbon dioxide poisoning. If you’re trying to dig yourself out, or clear a perimeter around your vehicle, take regular breaks and be careful not to strain yourself. Heart attacks are very common in these situations. As we mentioned above, we have covered these topics in more detail here.

Summary

Ninety percent of safe driving is common sense and some basic skill. The other 10% is preparation. Know your vehicle, your kit, and your local emergencies like the back of your hand, and you’ll stand the best chance of arriving safe and sound to any destination. Drive carefully, give space to other drivers, and be sure to have emergency supplies in your vehicle.

Bonus tip! There’s a piece of advice my mother gave me that I think really fits with these tips. If there’s an idiot on the road, make sure they’re in front of you. That way you never have to rely on their reaction times, only on yours. Hopefully that wisdom comes in handy – I know it has for me!

Thank you for reading! Share your questions and comments with us below – we’d love to chat.

This article was written by Zenia Platten – Author of Tethered and Emergency Preparedness Professional.

09 Aug

Business, Food, Water

How to Save Thousands on Emergency Prep

August 9, 2019
Posted by Zenia Platten
0 comments

Being prepared for an emergency is crucial to personal and community well-being. Despite this, even known earthquake zones see less than half of the population actually readying themselves for potential disaster. Here at Total Prepare we understand that getting yourself in the proper headspace for gathering supplies can be a difficult task. After all no one wants to spend money on something they’re potentially not going to use. For these people (and anyone who likes to get the best bang for their buck) we’ve got some tips and tricks on how you can save THOUSANDS on emergency preparedness. Let’s get started!

Long Shelf Lives

Emergency supplies are a unique in that they’re one of the few things you buy intending to leave them in the closet for (hopefully) years. Due to this longevity, the initial price tag on your kit isn’t the whole cost of your supplies. Every year it’s important to go through your kit and weed out any items that are expired or haven’t stood the test of time.

In most kits, the items that need the most frequent replacement are food, water, and first aid. Each of these have an industry standard shelf life of 5 years unless they say otherwise. Due to this, we need to factor in the cost of replacing the supplies and keeping them up to date to reflect the real price of a kit.

For example, let’s take our most popular 72 hour kit, the Family Prep Survival backpack for 4 people. As of today this kit retails for $292.95. Every 5 years the food and water inside require replacement:

4 Ration Bars x $10.50= $42.00

24 Water Pouches x $0.79 = $18.96

$42.00 + $18.96 = $60.96 every five years, or $304.80 over 25 years.

As you can see, replacing items regularly can really add up! If you have a larger family, or are preparing for a school, business, hospital, or other organization the effect is amplified over more people. But by investing a little more up front for items with loooooong shelf lives, you can save A LOT of money over the life of the product.

Blue Can Water

We talk about Blue Can Water and its incredible 50 year shelf life a lot at Total Prepare, but that’s because we just can’t get over how awesome it is! The practical cans can be easily put down (unlike pouches) and are easy to open without spilling. As an added bonus, they’re made from recycled aluminum, and can go back into the recycling stream when they’re used up! As if that wasn’t enough, Blue Can Water is also a ‘win’ for your wallet.

If we take the same kit from the previous example and replace the water pouches with Blue Can Water, watch what happens:

24 Water Pouches = 3L

A case of Blue Can Water = 8.5L – more than double the volume of the pouches.

Case of Blue Can Water = $49.95. That’s it. That’s the whole cost for 50 years.

9 Replacements of 24 Water Pouches = $18.96 x 9 = $170.64.

These numbers don’t even take inflation into account! Already we’re saving over $10 every 5 years on emergency water for a family of four – AND they’re getting more water each than they were with pouches. As we prepare for larger groups or for longer time periods, the savings only increase!

Freeze Dried Food

Ration bars are great. They can be stored in a wide variety of temperatures, are super compact, and require absolutely no preparation. They’re even tasty enough to eat as office snacks (talking from experience). But does anyone over the age of 7 really want to eat nothing but shortbread cookie-like bars for 3 days straight?

No.

Especially when you could be eating stroganoff, pasta primavera, chili, or pancakes. This is where Legacy Premium Foods come in. They have a 25 year shelf life, are non GMO, made with no added MSG, and have gluten free options. All the meals are vegetarian too! (Meat available separately if that’s more your style. 😊 )

I can already hear you asking: yes, but don’t they cost more?

Let’s find out through the glory of math, sticking with the example we’ve been using so far:

4 Ration bars = 14,400 calories

40 Servings of Legacy Food = ~ 14,840 calories

60 Serving Breakfast Lunch and Dinner Bucket = $289.95.

40 Servings from this^ bucket (199.95 x 66%) = $191.37 This cost does not change or increase over 25 years.

5 Replacements of Ration Bars = 5 x $42.00 = $210.00 <- This price is not accounting for inflation, so it would be much higher.

As you can see, Legacy Food saves you money over the life of the product, just like Blue Can Water. On top of that, you don’t need to spend your valuable time checking expiration dates and going shopping for replacement items. This savings is what my economics professor called an opportunity cost. Think of all the other things you would rather be doing than replacing emergency bars!

I should note that Legacy Food does require additional water and fuel to cook but there are many inexpensive ways to keep these on hand. A BPA-free plastic water container (like you might use for camping) and a campfire can do the job wonderfully. When you start dealing with larger quantities of food, Blue Can Water becomes an economic solution for rehydrating food too.

If you’re preparing for an organization and want to know the best solutions for your kit is, feel free to contact us – we’re happy to do the math for you.

Shop the Sales

As in all money saving endeavors, shopping the sales is a top-notch strategy. Emergency Kits and Food Storage go on sale regularly at totalprepare.ca with savings of up to 25%. If you would like to be notified when we have a sale scroll to the very bottom of this page to sign up for our email list.*

*Per our privacy policy your email won’t be used for anything other than Total Prepare emails.

Group Buy

If the item(s) you want aren’t on sale, worry not! There are other ways to save. Ask around your work, school, and social circles to see if anyone you know would be interested in purchasing items with you. We can often do special deals for large orders based on volume discounts. If nothing else, it never hurts to ask!

Another strategy is to champion a preparedness effort in your workplace. If your business buys supplies we can bundle your supplies with theirs for pricing. We can even keep the bills separate to save your accounting department from headaches!

Fund Raisers

Chocolate bars and coupon books are all fine and dandy, but what about fundraising with things that are useful in the long term? Our fundraising program is quick and easy with prebuilt hand-outs and instructions for parents.

Orders placed for select items are eligible for a discount and/or a rebate directly to the school. At the end of the ordering period all of the orders are shipped together to one location, clearly labelled for distribution.

These fundraisers work great for PACs, daycares, mother’s groups, and youth clubs (think scouts/girl guides). Total Prepare loves to help our communities in any way we can, and fund raisers give us that chance. There’s nothing better than helping families get prepared while also giving back!

Employee Buying Programs

If you’ve already prepared your business you’ll want to ensure that your staff are prepared at home too. Having a kit to go home to will help to minimize employee reliance on your supplies in an emergency. The last thing anyone needs is for Steve in accounting to bring his family of 6 back to the office for food when they realize they weren’t prepared.

Total Prepare makes this process simple and straightforward. We can provide special pricing for your organization, along with an order form, for distribution. Employees fill the form with what they need, or enter a coupon code online, and orders are delivered together to the office for distribution. Some organizations have even implemented payroll deduction programs so staff can pay for their orders in installments, directly through the business.

Repurpose What You Already Have

In our store we have the pleasure of showing off our emergency kits to customers in person. More often than not, they’re struck by the realizations that “Hey! I already have half of this stuff.” This is a great position to be in!

If you camp, backpack, or have inherited camping gear from an outdoorsy uncle (happens more than you’d think) then you’re well on your way to a complete emergency kit! After all, dealing with an emergency is just camping without notice. Okay, there’s a lot more stress than camping – but the supplies are the same!

Even if you’re not an outdoors-person, and Uncle Jim is stubbornly hanging on, you might already have many items for your kit. Blankets, tarps, toothbrushes/paste, pots and pans, cutlery, and toilet paper for example.

The catch with having all of these items in your home is that they’re not easy to grab and go. Gather all the pieces into one place, preferably in something you can roll or carry, so that its easy to grab if it’s needed. If a storm or forest fire is heading your way you might only have a moment to take what you need.

Plan With Your Neighbours

Whether or not you’re keeping up with the Jones’ it’s important to keep them in mind as an emergency resource. If you have a family size tent, but the kid’s have all left home, make a deal with the couple next door to share shelter if they’ll let you use their generator. Or have one family prioritize canning fruit from their trees to share, and another provide the firepit and wood. Once you start talking you’ll be amazed at how much more resilient your neighbourhood is when it stands together.

Plus, you’ll only need to pack a fraction of what you would have needed alone.

Investing Now Saves Costs Later

I’ve mentioned inflation a few times in this article but in researching for this article I was amazed by just how quickly it effects the costs of preparedness. Inflation increases costs by about 2% each year, so something that costs $100 now, will be $110.50 in 5 years. That adds up quick!

This, coupled with the fact that delaying preparedness could result in an emergency happening before your ready, means that there’s never been a better time than the present to get prepared!

Thank you for reading.

This article was written by Zenia Platten – Author of Tethered and emergency preparedness professional.

07 Mar

Business

3 Steps to Prepare Your Business

November 9, 2023
Posted by Zenia Platten
0 comments

Corporate preparedness is one of Total Prepare’s biggest strengths. We understand that organizations have many moving parts, valuable assets, and budgets to consider and we work with companies big and small to help them get prepared. In this article we’ll be discussing just how that’s done. We’ll cover creating a plan, establishing supplies, and organizing regular drills. Together, we’ll hone the skills and reactions of staff and management.

We aim for this guide to be comprehensive, but please don’t hesitate to contact our team of professionals for personalized help. We’re always more than happy to assist!

Young professionals meeting in a polished boardroom. It's business casual.

Making a Plan

Risk Assessment

Hazards

The first step in creating an emergency plan is conducting a risk assessment. Knowing what you’re preparing for really makes planning easier. If your organization has a health and safety committee, or an emergency prep team, they’ll likely already have something in place. If not, here’s how you can start:

Look to your local area and list the hazards that might impact the business in an immediate way. Fire, flood, hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis are issues experienced in different areas of Canada. Check with your provincial website to discover what hazards are most common in your region.

Unfortunately, civil disasters are also an element that requires consideration. This is especially important if your business is located in a city center. If applicable, add items like riots, active shooters, and bomb threats to the list.

Once all the external threats are listed, turn your inspection inward. If you handle hazardous or explosive materials, heavy machinery, or work in a dangerous place (climbing trees or power poles for example) then add ‘accidents’ to your assessment list. If there are other internal risks, write those down too. Examples might include: fire, loss/corruption of data, gas leaks, mechanical break down, or cyber attack.

Once you have your list of risks, order them by how much damage they are likely to cause, and how likely each is to occur.

Effected Assets

Cost to risk infographic. Hand holding money near a risk dial.

Go through your listed hazards and determine which of your assets are at risk in each type of emergency. People (staff/customers) and data should be high priority. Also list physical goods, infrastructure, and even reputation. If the environment may be impacted by an emergency (a dangerous chemical spill for example) include this in your list too.

Once your endangered assets are established consider what vulnerabilities surround each. That crack in your wall, or those pop-ups the receptionist clicks, might seem harmless, but can exacerbate major problems. Both could take a physical or cyber emergency from bad to worse, leading to building instability or hackers.

Vulnerabilities are anything that would make an asset more likely to be damaged by a hazard. Think through everything from processes, to infrastructure, security, and loss prevention programs.

Impacts and Mitigation

What impact would an emergency have on the assets listed in the previous section? Would there be casualties? Property damage or business interruption? Lawsuits, or loss of confidence in the company?

Who, what, when, where, why, and how written stylishly on a hip wood background.

Go through each of your assets and conduct a impact assessment. Explore the potential end results of an emergency in each area. Once we understand what might go wrong, steps can be put in place to mitigate danger.

Look at all the information you’ve gathered and consider how you can minimize risks and speed recovery. You might discover simple things that can make a big difference! Fire sprinklers, back up generators, a business continuity plan, emergency supplies, insurance, and updated cyber security are all examples of risk mitigation.

Creating a Plan

writing a plan down on paper

You’re sitting at your desk putting the finishing touches on an important proposal when you hear shouting downstairs. You leap to your feet as one of your loyal team throws your door open, their face stretched in distress.

“Boss, you’re not going to believe this,” they say, leading you to the lobby at a jog. “It’s everywhere. The records room’s hit worst, but if it goes any further the servers are next.”

There’s water up to your ankles, but you splash in fearlessly, ignoring the smell of damp. Your pants cling to your legs as you wade deeper, dread growing in your chest until you see the open door to the basement, where the records room used to be. The stairs are invisible beneath the rising flood.

“I knew the river was pushing the dam’s limits, but this…” you rub your eyes, “where on earth is Jenson? I want to hear what facilities thinks of all this.”

Your employee glances around, shrugging, so you call to another in the hall.

“Don’t worry Alex, we’ll sort this out. Have you seen Jenson?” you ask, offering what comfort you can. Alex sobs, lifting a shaking hand to point at the basement door.

“He was double checking the pipes when it all rushed in. I didn’t see him come out. I called 911 but the number’s busy. No one’s coming.”

What do you do?

In the above scenario, we have three different emergencies playing out. A flood is devastating important records, vital servers are at risk, and an employee is missing and potentially in danger. Although this instance is very specific, the business has covered enough in their emergency plan to react in an efficient and logical way.

While ’employee trapped in a flooded basement’ might not be in the plan, a missing employee might be. Following procedure might reveal that Jenson is actually in the lunch room, having left the basement unseen. Procedures for protecting data, and containing floods would be highly relevant. Perhaps the business has mitigated these risks by backing up all their files on a remote server, or keeping records in watertight containers.

When building a plan for your organization, look through each risk covered in the risk assessment and write out a detailed, clear, and easy to follow guide of how employees and management should react. If you have a leadership team or emergency wardens be sure that each of them have a digital and physical copy of the plan. They should know it back to front.

Mention meeting places, and make note of where your leaders can collect/access emergency supplies if an evacuation or shelter in place scenario becomes necessary. Make it clear to every employee that they should check in with their leaders before leaving the premises. It’s important to take a roll-call to ensure that everyone is accounted for.

Supplies

Severe emergencies can often require staying in your place of business, or at a meeting point nearby, for several days. Over this time, some employees may find their way home, while others might be delayed by inclement weather, inaccessible roads, or injury. It is recommended that every organization have at least 72 hours worth of supplies for employees. Depending on the nature of the organization, supplies may also be required for customers, guests, students, or patients.

Total Prepare carries pre-built, customizable solutions for any size of office or workplace. Our one-stop-shop kits cover a range of budgets and different levels of preparedness. Not sure which is right for you? Contact our team of friendly professionals and we’ll help you find the right fit for your organization, or customize our options for a tailor-made kit.

DIY Workplace Emergency Kits

If you are only looking for a few items, or purchasing piecemeal to work within a budget or schedule, you’ll want to ensure that you have covered all the essentials. Below we outline some of the most important things to include in your DIY Workplace Emergency Kit. We’ve ordered them by their usual level of importance, but some items may be of higher or lower priority for your organizational needs.

Water

Water is the first priority in most kits. Water is crucial to life, and dehydration can effect people quickly. Pipes can crack in earthquakes, back-up in floods and burst in extreme cold, so a back up option is a must.

Blue Can Water

We’ve written extensively on how to approach water solutions in the past, but here’s a quick synopsis. There are three ways to deal with water needs: Storage, Filtration, and Treatment. Storage refers to water that you have either packed and preserved yourself, or pouches and cans of professionally sealed water with longer shelf lives (up to 50 years!) If you purchase packaged water from Total Prepare, we’ll be sure to give you a courtesy call to let you know when its expiry date is coming up.

Filtration and treatment both take available fresh water (why let a flood go to waste?) and process it until it’s safe to consume. These options come in different strengths and dosages, so be sure to read the labels. If you’re drinking from a source that comes into regular contact with humans, stick to methods that remove viruses in addition to bacteria and protozoa!

Food

We’ve got to eat! Happily, there are plenty of options when it comes to emergency food. The most common ration in the emergency preparedness world is the 3600 Calorie Ration Bar. Each package contains enough calories to support someone for 3 days if rationing down to 1200 calories per day. These bars are resistant to temperature changes and tend to have a 5 year shelf life.

For organizations that require a longer period of preparedness we recommend freeze dried food. We cover freeze dried options extensively here. Most freeze dried foods have 20+ year shelf lives and a much broader nutritional range than calorie bars. They are tasty, easy to cook meals that last best stored in cool, consistent temperatures. These options do require extra water and heat to cook. Gluten free options are available!

If you purchase cases of ration bars or freeze dried food from Total Prepare, we’ll follow up near the expiry date with a courtesy call.

The Essentials

Outside of food and water, there are a handful of essential supplies that we recommend stocking up on, even if you’re creating a minimalist kit. These are small, lightweight items that can make the difference between life and death in extreme circumstances.

Emergency Blankets
Emergency Ponchos (body heat is lost 7x faster when wet)
First Aid Kit
N95 Dust Masks
Waste Management Kit (and lots of extra hand sanitizer)
Flashlight/Radio
Binder listing staff and emergency contacts

Half of this list cost less than $2 per unit, and can make a monumental difference to the health and well-being of an employee or customer. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive kit, there are lots of great options that can be added to the above for additional safety and comfort in an emergency:

Tarps
Rope
Lightsticks
Candles/Matches
Garbage bags
Army Knife
Generators/Solar Panels
Emergency phone chargers
Duct Tape
Carabiners
And lots more!

For large organizations, we also recommend compiling Warden Kits or search and rescue kits, with some of the following:

Hard Hats
Pry Bars
Sledge Hammer
Extra Blankets
Extra First Aid
Safety glasses
Work Gloves
Reflective Vests
Signal Whistle
Shovel

Practice Makes Perfect

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

So you have a kit, congratulations! Now we need to make sure everyone knows what to do with it. If you haven’t already, establish a safety committee, emergency warden, or designate a team leader who will be in charge of emergency drills and organizing recovery. They should meet once a month to discuss potential risks and mitigation, as well as planning drills and awareness initiatives – ShakeOutBC, or Emergency Preparedness Week for example.

Schedule emergency drills at least twice a year, and practice for different types of emergencies each time. Ensure that all employees are participating, and no one is left behind while the building is ‘on fire.’ Make drills as realistic as possible by enlisting some employees to play wounded or trapped victims. New employees should be educated about procedure right away, and extra considerations should be made for people with special needs.

Be sure to communicate the importance of taking attendance and checking in with wardens too. No one wants to spend precious time and energy during a disaster searching for someone who has simply gone home.

Encourage employees to prepare at home too with payroll purchasing programs (we do that!) or group purchases.

Summary

If you’ve gotten this far – great job! You have a plan, a kit, and the practice to make it all work smoothly. Know your risks, mitigate them, then prepare for the worst and hope for the best. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, we’re here to help! Contact us any time by phone (1-888-832-1733) or email.

Thank you for reading!

This article was written by Zenia Platten – Writer and emergency preparedness professional.

20 Dec

Earthquakes

How to Prepare for Landslides

December 20, 2018
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

Earlier in September, you may have heard of the large earthquake in Japan that caused multiple landslides, unfortunately killing at least nine people. Our hearts go out to their loved ones, along with any who were injured.

After a natural disaster such as this, for those who were in the area, life will never be the same. For the rest of the world, it’s another sobering reminder that earthquakes and landslides could happen at any time, especially if you live along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Although it’s impossible to predict earthquakes, there are a number of warning signs for landslides. We’ve listed them below, or you can read about them in further detail in this CBC News article:

saturated ground in unusual areas
sew cracks or bulges in the ground
Sunken roads
rapid increase or decrease in creek water levels
cracking trees

If you’ve already got your earthquake kit ready, but you’d like to get better prepared for the possibility of a landslide, below are a few tips:

Read through PreparedBC: Landslide Information for Homeowners and Home Buyers – Advice for Protecting Your Home
You’ll also want to discuss safety steps with your family, in case you’re ever caught indoors or outdoors during a landslide. If you’re caught indoors…
- Find cover indoors, as far away from the landslide as possible
- Take cover underneath a strong piece of furniture such as a table
- Hold on firmly, cover your neck and head, and stay still until all of the movement has stopped
If you’re caught outdoors…
- Move as quickly as possible away from where you think the landslide is moving.
- Stay as far away as possible. Do not return to the area until it is deemed safe by the authorities, to do so.

In general, knowing something about your local geology is a wise way to be aware of when the risk of landslides is high. And, similarly to other emergency preparedness practices, the more you communicate with your household about how you’re preparing and what your survival plan is, the better!

If you know of other resources for emergency preparedness, especially as regards landslides, we’d love to hear from you! Feel free to share a note on our Facebook page or shoot us an email!

Post written by Sophie Wooding

28 Apr

Severe Weather & Floods

How to Save Your Property from Flood Damage

April 28, 2017
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

flood damage

Since it is officially spring time in Canada, it’s about time for the snow to take a hint and take a hike—am I right? But seriously, with so much snow melting in the coming weeks, it’s an opportune time for you to remind yourself of how best to deal with flooding.

Did you know that flooding has been Canada’s most expensive hazard to date in terms of property damage?

It’s impossible to completely flood-proof your home, but there are many ways you can alleviate the effects. In an effort to prepare the community for heavy rainfall and the flooding that comes with it, we’ve created a to-do checklist for you to go over for your own peace of mind and financial security.

Determine your risk level by identifying whether your home is located on the floodway or the flood fringe.
Purchase or review a 72-hour emergency kit.
Check your home insurance and ensure that you have flood protection included. Up until recently, many home insurance policies didn’t include coverage for flooding.
Look into purchasing sandbags and temporary barriers as needed. These only work with a small amount of flooding and are not to be used to protect people, only minimize risk to your home. It’s also good to know that it takes 2 people approximately 1 hour to fill and place 100 sandbags, and often you won’t get much warning before a flood.
Of course it’s even better if you can create a more permanent way to mitigate flood damage to your property—such as landscaping your property so that your land slopes gently away from the house. It helps if you fill in any hollow or sunken areas on the property as well.
Know where the shut-offs for utilities and appliances are on your property, and if you have time, shut them off before leaving, during a flood.
Move valuable documents and personal items into a safe, high, dry place, away from windows. The same goes for electronics.
Move any waste to ground level.
Install a backflow prevention device on your sewer pipe.
If you are thinking of purchasing a home, consider its location carefully first.

This is not an exhaustive list of things to remember, as you prepare for rain and potential floods. If you have any other tips or you’ve experienced your home flooding at some point and have a story to share, please do contact us!

-Content created by Sophie Wooding – Writer, gardener, cyclist and emergency preparedness enthusiast!

Stay strong when surrounded by adversity

16 Feb

News

How to Stay Strong After You Survive a Disaster

February 16, 2017
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

Wikimedia Commons/ Svklimkin

When we say “stay strong,” we mean both physically and mentally because both are equally important when it comes to surviving the long haul that can come after a big disaster.

Below, we’ve shared a few tips to help you prepare for physical and mental strength during an emergency. Feel free to copy or print out this list to keep with you in your emergency supply kit!

Keeping up Your Mental Strength

Talk to people who have been through traumatic situations and find out where their strength came from. Asking if they had any mantras that helped get them through might be useful, and then you can consider using them yourself if you ever need to.
If you appreciate prayer, an emergency situation is exactly the time when you might find it a very healing, reassuring and comforting process.
Get good at a favourite card or board game, so that you can teach it to others if you are stuck somewhere taking shelter and are waiting for danger to pass. It’s a good idea to bring a game with you to take your mind of things, so that you don’t find yourself caught in a negative thought spiral.
Help others as much as possible, to keep your mind off of the danger you are in.
Do everything in your power to find time for sleep. Pack earplugs if need be!
Everything you do to maximize your comfort during an uncomfortable situation will help keep your mind healthy and calm.

Keeping up Your Physical Strength

Exercise regularly in your daily life so that if you need to walk a long distance or even swim, climb or hike—you’ll be as ready as possible. It’s not a bad idea to include upper body strengthening exercises in your regimen, so that you’re more ready to carry heavy packs.
Consider the nutritional value of the food in your emergency supply kit. Consider adding food with strengthening nutrients like extra iron and protein. Our six month meat kit might be just the thing!
Once in awhile, consider throwing off your regular fitness routine by doing something a little wild. For example, carry a pack into the woods for a swift uphill hike and try to surprise your own body.

You may have an idea of the strengths you already possess and feel like you’d be more likely to have a mental breakdown during an emergency, rather than grow weak physically. Or vice versa. So consider the instruments (your body and your mind) you’re working with when you do your planning. Ideally, you want to feel as strong as possible, all round!

Remember, even just by mentally preparing, writing lists and talking to others, you’re putting yourself one step ahead! Please feel free to add your own comments below, about what you’re doing to prepare mentally and physically.

-Content created by Sophie Wooding – Writer, gardener, cyclist and emergency preparedness enthusiast!

20 Jan

Severe Weather & Floods

How to Survive a Snowstorm When You’re Caught Outdoors

January 20, 2017
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

One of the top tips for surviving a snowstorm is to not get caught off guard. How to do that? Be prepared and know that it’s on its way. Try to stay in touch with the weather report on a daily basis if you have heard of a storm brewing.

All of the basic cold weather safety tips apply on a regular winter day, but what about when a snowstorm has seriously taken over? And what if you’re not at home, and instead you are stuck outdoors?

If you are near your vehicle, get inside and focus on staying warm and hydrated. Check to see if you have cell reception or an internet connection, and let someone know where you are. This kind of situation is why it’s so important to have emergency supplies in your vehicle. Even if you’re only stuck for a day, you’ll be desperate for a few drops of water. Perhaps consider getting one of our starter Auto Safety Kits to keep in your car. It even comes with food and water with a 5 year shelf life as well as a reflective blanket. So your warmth and hydration needs will be covered.

If you are not near your vehicle or a building of any kind, then you’ll want to use nature itself to shelter you. As quickly as possible, scope out the area and go in the direction of trees and brush. If there’s thick enough tree coverage, you may be able to escape a lot of the snow and build yourself a lean to shelter out of branches.

Most important of all, you’ll need to get out of the wind. If building a shelter in the trees is not possible, you may want to consider digging yourself a snow fort. Deep snow is actually a great insulator!

Here are a few resources that will teach you…

For further tips, feel free to explore the above websites with their wonderful devotion to outdoor living, adventures and practical survival in the wilderness. Remember, knowledge is power!

-Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

10 Jan

Severe Weather & Floods

How to Stay Safe on Icy Roads this Winter

January 10, 2017
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

Have you heard the term “meteorological winter”? It’s the period of time between December 1st through the end of February and it’s the coldest three-month period of the year in the northern hemisphere. Down on the Southwest coast of Canada, here in Victoria BC, we enjoy our own micro-climate that keeps us warmer and drier than anywhere else in Canada!

With that said, we still experience wintry days and icy streets so it’s wise for us to prepare for the worst. And if we’re preparing, those living in less mild parts of Canada would do well to prepare too!

Many times, even if the weather doesn’t produce snow, the roads are still icy. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it’s invisible, black ice.

Here are some road safety tips so that you can get where you’re going in one piece.

Pay attention, and remove any potential distractions from your eyesight or reach.
Ensure that your vehicle is prepared for winter driving. This includes winter tires, a snow scraper, and emergency items such as a flashlight, a shovel and jumper cables.
Drive smoothly and slowly. Don’t make any abrupt turns or stops, and leave extra time to get everywhere. It’s best to brake before making any turns in icy conditions.
Avoid tailgating. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
Learn how to control skids. Turn into the skid and accelerate!
Keep your lights on!
Keep cruise control off, in case of hydroplaning.
If your car has an anti-lock braking system, there’s no need to pump the brakes.

During the winter, vehicle collisions and accidents become increasingly common so take some time to practice and prepare yourself if need be. After all, you don’t want to become a statistic!

For more traffic safety tips and information, please visit Canada Safety Council’s website and become better prepared to stay safe on the road at all times!
-Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

18 Nov

Severe Weather & Floods

How to Stay Safe When Winter Frost Creeps In!

November 18, 2016
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

As fall turns to winter, travel time increases as we take precautions to keep ourselves safe on icy roads with limited visibility.

Here are a few important reminders to consider as we enter the icy season:

Get your tires checked. This includes rotating your tires, and checking your spare tire. It also means switching out your regular tires for winter tires if you live in a region where you’ll need them.
As the temperature drops below freezing, add a bottle of fuel de-icer to your tank once a month. This will help keep moisture from freezing in the fuel line. It also helps to keep your gas tank full.
Double check that your heater and defroster are in good working condition for the comfort of you and your passengers.
In preparation for heavier rainfall, consider replacing your windshield wiper blades.
Get your brakes checked.
Ensure all lights are working properly and are brightly lit.
Always carry an emergency kit with you, in your car.

These are just some basics to especially consider as temperatures drop below freezing. For more tips, feel free to visit the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA).

And don’t forget! If you’re a cyclist or a pedestrian, the icy streets and sidewalks are still a risk to your well-being. Consider wearing light clothing as it gets darker, brightly coloured scarves and toques, reflective vests and armbands or small lights on your jacket to keep yourself highly visible. It’s also a good idea to stay tuned into local radio stations to find out which roads are particularly or statistically unsafe.

Watch your footing, wear shoes with good grips and stay safe out there so you can continue enjoying the beauty of the wintry season!

-Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io

15 Nov

Electronics

How to Prepare for Daylight Savings Darkness

November 15, 2016
Posted by Sophie Wooding
0 comments

If you live in British Columbia as we do, you know the soul-sucking jet lag-type confusion that is Daylight Savings. Or perhaps you enjoy the switch in time, with the brighter mornings and dark, cozy evenings. Good on you for staying so positive.

Daylight Savings is practiced by most regions of North America and Europe as well as some in the Middle East and elsewhere, so us British Columbians are not alone in this transition. First, it’s good to mentally prepare yourself for the time change ahead of time. At the very least, remember to set your clock back the night before, so you’re on time for morning appointments on the first day of the time change. I’m sure most of us have a story or two we could share about forgetting to change our clocks…

Second, get ready for those deeply dark evenings. Even your commute home from work may be plunged suddenly into darkness. You can prepare to be safe in the dark by ensuring that your car’s lights are all working properly (both inside and out), and that they’re bright enough for you to see ahead comfortably while you drive. If you commute on your bike, it’s the perfect time to charge up your bike lights, perhaps invest in a new one for your helmet or wheels (the more lights the better). And if you’re walking, even if it’s mostly on the sidewalk, consider wearing a reflective vest or armbands. You may feel like a dork but what you’re really being is smart.

It’s also a good idea to make sure the lights at the outer entry of your home are working. And if you have any dark gates to unlock, perhaps pack along a mini flashlight throughout the winter.

On the flip side, Daylight Savings may inspire you to wake up earlier with the added morning sunlight and take advantage of everything you can get done as an early riser! It can’t be all bad.

Whether you’re a fan of Daylight Savings or not, it’s a reality, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re prepared to survive the darkness.

-Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io