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Emergency Preparedness

Graphic with various emergency preparedness items such as water, flashlight etc.

Are You Prepared?

You may not be able to predict when a disaster will happen, but there are ways you can reduce the impact of any emergency you might face.

You can become better prepared to face a range of emergencies by taking a few simple steps:

  1. Know the Risks
  2. Make a Plan
  3. Prepare a 72 Hour Emergency Kit
  4. Stay Informed

1. Know the Risks

Knowing the risks specific to your community and your region can help you to be better prepared for an emergency. In Windsor and Essex County, some of the disasters that are most likely to occur include:

Extreme Heat

Flooding

Nuclear

Pandemic

Power Outage

Tornado

Winter Storm

2. Make a Plan

Your family may not be together when an emergency occurs. Having a plan will help you and your family know what to do. Once you have a plan, regularly review and practice it. Also, make sure that all family members carry a copy of the plan in their wallet, purse, or backpack. The plan should also be in your 72 Hour Emergency Kit.

Make sure your plan includes:

  • Contact information for everyone in the household, including work and school phone numbers
  • A list of important phone numbers, including doctors, emergency services, insurance companies, and utilities
  • The name and phone number of an out-of-town contact person
  • Safe exit routes from your home
  • A designated meeting spot outside your home and one outside your neighbourhood in case you need to leave the area
  • Evacuation routes from your neighbourhood

Also find out school or daycare policies for releasing your children to a designated person if you can’t pick them up.

Your plan should also include pets and any special health or accessibility needs in your family.

Make your plan online.

3. Prepare a 72 Hour Emergency Kit

During an emergency, you may need to go without power or tap water. It is important to be able to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in an emergency. Some of the supplies that are needed include:

  • Water (2 litres/person/day)
  • Non-perishable food (e.g., canned food, energy bars, dried food)
  • Manual can opener
  • First aid kit
  • Prescription drugs
  • Personal hygiene items (e.g., toilet paper, feminine supplies, plastic garbage bags, hand sanitizer)
  • Basic tools (e.g., whistle, duct tape, pocket knife, adjustable wrench, screwdrivers, pliers, hammer)
  • Radio (crank or battery)
  • Extra keys to car and house
  • Cash (include smaller bills and change)
  • Copies of important documents (e.g., emergency plan with contact phone numbers, passports, insurance policies, wills, immunization records, banking information)
  • Clothing and footwear
  • Blankets or sleeping bags
  • Candles, and lighter or matches (windproof/waterproof matches or in a waterproof container)
  • Flashlight (crank or battery) and extra batteries
  • Additional supplies such as pet food and extra water should also be included if you have pets

For families with infants under 6 months of age:

  • Infants who are exclusively breastfed do not require any additional feeding items in their kits
  • Infants receiving breastmilk substitutes (formula) should include breastmilk substitutes, bottles, and sterilizing equipment in their emergency kits. Breastmilk substitutes expire so they will need to be replaced on a regular basis.

Your kit should be kept in a backpack or a suitcase with wheels so that it is easy to carry. Make sure that it is in an easy to reach place and that everyone in the house knows where it is kept.

More information can be found at:

4. Stay Informed

It is important to stay informed during an emergency. There are many ways to receive emergency information including:

  • Mail and hand-delivered information
  • Telephone or email
  • Internet and social media (follow your local municipality, health unit, fire and police services on Facebook and Twitter)
  • Local television stations (CBC Windsor, CTV Windsor)
  • Local radio stations
  • Members of your community

Be sure to share any emergency information you receive with your friends, neighbours and family.

Turn your radio/TV on!

During any emergency situation, authorities will immediately contact all local radio stations. To receive information, residents should immediately turn on battery/crank-operated radios and tune into:

Radio
  • CBEF 540 AM
  • CBEF 105.5 FM
  • CKWW 580 AM
  • CKLW 800 AM
  • CBC 1550 AM
  • CBC 97.5 FM
  • CIMX 88.7 FM
  • CJAM 99.1 FM
  • CIDR 93.9 FM
  • CHYR 96.7 FM
  • CJWF 95.9 FM
  • CJSP 92.7 FM
  • CKUE 100.7 FM
Television
  • CBC Channel 9 (Cable 10)
  • CTV (Cable 6)
  • COGECO Cable Channel 10 (Cable 11)

    • Police, Fire, Ambulance: 911

    Community and social services: 211

    Non-Emergency Windsor City Services: 311

    Local Emergency Contact Numbers:
    • Poison Treatment Centre: 1-800-268-9017
    • Spills Action Centre: 1-800-268-6060
    • Windsor-Essex County Health Unit: (519) 258-2146
    • Hydro One: 1-800-787-4295
    • EnWin Power: (519) 255-2727, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
    • After-hours hydro service: (519) 255-7818
    • After-hours water service: (519) 255-7130
    • Union Gas: 1-877-969-0999
    • Windsor Police Services General Inquiries: (519) 258-6111
    • Police Headquarters: (519) 255-6700
    • Crime Stoppers: 1-800-222-8477
    • Marine and Air Search and Rescue: 1-800-222-8477
    • TeleHealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
    • Canadian Red Cross: 1-866-797-0000, (519) 944-8144

    Pandemic

    A pandemic occurs when an infectious disease spreads throughout the global population. Since the virus is new, the human population is likely to have little, to no, immunity against it.

    Nuclear Emergency

    As you may or may not be aware, a very small part of Windsor-Essex County (WEC) falls within the primary zone (up to 16 kilometres from the nuclear power plant) and all of WEC falls within the secondary zone (between 16 and 80 kilometres from the nuclear power plant) of the Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Generating Plant which is located in Monroe, Michigan. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in conjunction with our municipal partners, wants to ensure our residents are informed and safe in the highly unlikely case of a nuclear emergency.

    Winter Storm

    Don’t let a winter storm catch you off guard! During the winter months, check for winter weather alerts and warnings before you go to bed. Always be prepared for cold weather.

    Power Outage

    There’s never a good time for a power outage to occur.  Severe storms and high winds can damage power lines and equipment which can lead to power outages. Extended power outages during extreme hot or cold weather could put your health and safety at risk. Follow these tips to help you and your family stay safe.

    Pandemic

    A pandemic occurs when an infectious disease spreads throughout the global population. Often, pandemics arise from a new strain of influenza. Since the virus is new, the human population is likely to have little, to no, immunity against it.

    Flooding

    Floods are a common and widespread natural hazard across Canada, causing extensive damage to property and loss of life. Floods can result from heavy rainfall, sewer backups, severe storms, breaking dams, broken water mains, and thawing of snow and ice.