An emergency can happen at any time – are you ready?

Information and resources to help keep you and your family safe. This feature story is part of the City of Ottawa Service Reviews: an initiative aimed at ensuring our services are meeting your needs. Visit ottawa.ca/YourIdeas today. As in many cities around the world, Ottawa continues to experience warmer, wetter and more unpredictable weather due to climate change. Being ready for the unexpected helps keep everyone safe in case of an emergency and also plays an important role in recovery efforts. In the event of an emergency, are you ready to take care of yourself and your family for up to three days? This week is Emergency Preparedness Week and it is the perfect time to refresh and renew your family emergency plans. Read on for some guidelines to help you get started. The Are You Ready? program Severe weather, power outages, or water disruptions can quickly escalate into emergencies that affect you, your loved ones, and your entire community. It’s important to be prepared and know what to do before an emergency happens. By taking a few simple steps now, you can feel more confident and ready when disaster strikes. Are You Ready? workbook The Are You Ready? workbook is a practical guide to help individuals and families stay safe during emergencies. It provides easy-to-follow worksheets and checklists. The workbook will help you understand your risks, make a tailored plan and build an emergency kit. Download the Are You Ready? workbook PDF Emergency preparedness checklist An emergency kit checklist outlines essential items you need to stay safe and self-sufficient for at least 72 hours during an emergency. It includes basic supplies, like food, water and flashlights, and important documents which will help you and your family stay safe and respond quickly. Download the Emergency Preparedness Checklist PDF Personal property inventory An insurance inventory helps you keep track of your personal belongings in case there is loss or damage from a disaster. By recording item details, like room location and purchase date, you will be better prepared to file an insurance claim and recover faster after a disaster. Download the Personal Property Inventory PDF Additional preparedness resources We’ve updated our emergency preparedness section on ottawa.ca to help you be as ready as possible for potential emergencies. Alongside household emergency planning, you can also find information and supporting resources about:

• Ottawa Alert, the City’s public emergency notification system
• Types of emergencies experienced in Ottawa
• Emergency planning for communities
• Emergency planning for businesses
• Coping after an emergency
• More preparedness kits and checklists

Information sessions Do you want to better prepare yourself and your family or community for an emergency? The City’s Office of Emergency Management offers information sessions to help you get started with emergency planning. Group sessions are available covering personal preparedness for households and community preparedness for local organizations. Information sessions are:

• In-person, hybrid or virtual
• 30 to 60 minutes in length
• Free – there is no cost for this service or to participate

Consider hosting a neighbourhood session as a community-building activity! For more details and to book a personal or community information session, visit our Emergency preparedness education sessions page. Office of Emergency Management The Are You Ready? program is just one of the ways that the City’s Office of Emergency Management is building resiliency within our community. The City of Ottawa is here to support our community and plan for the unexpected. The City’s Office of Emergency Management helps keep residents and visitors safe by:

• Planning, preventing, and preparing before an emergency
• Responding to and making sure essential services continue during an emergency
• Activating the Emergency Coordination Centre when needed
• Helping the city recover after an emergency

To learn more about how the City is helping prepare for emergencies, visit our Office of Emergency Management page. Your city, your ideas! Are You Ready? is just one of the ways that the City is building resiliency within the community through our programs and services. Emergencies can occur suddenly and leave a lasting impact, especially now with the unpredictable and severe weather caused by climate change. By planning in advance, both individually and together, we are ready with the knowledge and resources to withstand an emergency and better prepared to recover quickly afterwards. You can share your ideas on how these or other City services could contribute to an Ottawa that is more green and resilient at engage.ottawa.ca/GreenAndResilient.