EMERGENCY:
1:Â an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action
2:Â an urgent need for assistance or relief <the mayor declared a state of emergency after the flood>
What will you do if there is an emergency? An earthquake, tornado or hurricane? What if there is a major power failure along the lines of the Northeast blackout of 2003? In this technological age, it seems like everyone uses computers to run things these days and we are so dependent on everything running smoothly. Yet it was a software bug that was the primary cause of the blackout.
Have you thought of or planned for an emergency?
And how do you plan differently if you are disabled or you are a caregiver for a person with a disability?
We can never be too prepared or too organized in case something happens. The Government of Canada has an Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities/Special Needs page to help you create an emergency plan and kit.
This builds onYour Emergency Preparedness Guide (Step 1. Know the risks, Step 2. Make a plan, Step 3. Get an emergency kit) from the pull-down menu under Your Emergency Plan which also includes plans for children, pets and service animals and staying in touch during emergencies.
Below is the table of contents if you would like to read a particular section.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Personal support network
- Emergency kit checklist
- Service animal emergency kit checklist
- People with a disability/special needs – tips
- Assisting people with a disability/special needs – tips
- Checklist and personal assessment
- Resources
There is a wealth of information on the site to help you prepare. This is not a subject people like to think about, but we must.
Because you never know when an emergency will be just around the corner.
sunshine and chaos 