Are you prepared for an emergency?
Posted May 5, 2017 10:12 am.
Last Updated May 5, 2017 10:14 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – The non-storm that was supposed to hit Metro Vancouver yesterday is a good reminder that you should be prepared for Mother Nature’s wrath — whenever it hits next.
This Sunday marks Emergency Preparedness Week in BC. And a veteran restoration expert has some tips to handle some of the biggest mistakes Canadians make when it comes to securing their homes during bad weather or even an earthquake.
Some of the most important things may also seem like the most obvious. “Make sure that you’ve got your eaves troughs cleaned out, your drains are clear. If you have a sump pump, and the power goes out, do you have a backup to keep that pump running?” says John Stephenson with FirstOnSite Restoration.
Given a lot of Canadians don’t have an emergency preparedness kit, he doesn’t advise trying to get it together at the last minute. “One of the great things you can do is maybe make a checklist up front to make sure that if you do have to leave, what are the things that are critical to bring with you.”
It’s no secret you should have an emergency preparedness kit at the ready to survive on your own for at least 72 hours with things like medicine and clean drinking water. You should also have things like home insurance documents. “Credit cards, back-up batteries maybe for your mobile devices, so all of those things you should be prepared in advance to have and ready to go in case you have to leave in a moment’s notice.”
He also warns you need to be aware what you are and are not covered for when it comes to home insurance.
