Emergency preparedness tips from a City of Ottawa expert

The City of Ottawa wants to make sure you're emergency-ready this spring and summer!

While many in Ottawa spend the winter waiting for warmer weather to come around, the spring and summer months can also bring unpredictable weather to the region.

While this weather can cause serious issues, including flash floods and power outages, there are steps people can take to be better prepared during these emergency situations.

Kristoffer Haarbosch, emergency management co-ordinator with the City of Ottawa, joined CTV’s Your Morning Ottawa on Thursday to offer some emergency preparedness advice.

“The more you can plan ahead and prepare ahead of time, then the more confident you’ll be when emergencies happen,” he said.

According to Haarbosch, emergency preparedness can be broken down into three simple steps.

“It’s knowing what you’re preparing for, having a plan, and then stockpiling some supplies,” he said.

In Ottawa, residents might want to prepare for situations like power outages, as well as high wind and extreme temperature events.

“If you have to evacuate, you know where to go. If you have to stay put, do you have what you need at home to be comfortable?” he said.

“How do I talk to my loved ones and my family when communications are down? So, planning for instances like that is a good start.”

Prepare an emergency kit

While different emergencies may require different needs, Haarbosch says there are some “one-size fits all” tools that should be kept on hand in an emergency kit.

“A crank powered flashlight and radio for when power goes out. A can opener, if you have canned food in there,” he said.

Haarbosch says it’s important to have a first aid kit on hand and water should be kept in supply. He recommends four litres of water per person per day. Additionally, pet-owners should ensure they’re stocked up on food.

Parents should also think of what their children might need during an emergency situation.

“If you have young children, it can kind of be scary for them, so just having something to kind of keep them distracted, keep their mind on things, keep them busy is also really helpful.”

The last crucial item Haarbosch recommends is a battery pack.

“I have three different ones here, a one-charge for your cellphone, something that can maybe charge a laptop for a couple days, and then something much more functional that can charge many devices; can boost your car; can fill air in your tires,” he said.

“So, depending on what you need, you have options.”

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