What Belongs In Your Home Emergency Kit? - Ask The Expert With Greg Marcyniuk

Greg shares tips on preparing a home emergency kit in this episode of Ask The Expert. 800 CHAB radio presents Ask the Expert with Greg Marcyniuk of Heritage Insurance located in Moose Jaw.

Here's a full transcript of this episode:

Rob Carnie: With Greg Marcyniuk from Heritage Insurance today, and Greg, in our last segment we talked about the importance of having an emergency survival kit in the vehicle in case you get stranded, or in case you have a breakdown. And it's not often we talk about having an emergency survival kit in the home, but it could happen. We could have an ice storm, we could have a blizzard, or summer storms too, right?

Greg Marcyniuk: Tornadoes, you just never know when you're gonna have your power wiped out and things could be awry. So, it's always a good idea to have a basic emergency kit available in your home. And what the basic emergency kit includes is first of all, water, you should have at least two liters of water per person per day. Food that won't spoil such as canned food, energy bars, dried foods, and again you want to make sure they're replaced every year. And as well, a manual can opener. Wind up or battery powered radio just so you can stay alert as to what's happening, as well as act as batteries. First aid kit. And again, a lot of times people don't even have band-aids in their home like, you know, you can go to any hardware store they have some excellent first aid kits, so definitely, have that available.

You should have extra keys for your house and your car, cash, traveler's checks, and definitely, you should always have some spare cash put aside because I know back when Toronto had their power outages the only people that were able to go out and eat were people with cash. As well, important family documents, any driver's license, identification, passports, insurance, bank records. As well, you should have an emergency plan and share that emergency plan with the rest of your family so that if there is an emergency, where would we meet, how would we meet, how to get along or how to get hold of one another. So definitely, put that together.

As well, you should have just a few of these additional things that you could put in your kit is candles with matches and or lighters. You should have a change of clothing, footwear, for each of your household members. A sleeping bag or warm blanket, toiletries and personal hygiene items, hand sanitizer, toilet paper. As well as garbage bags, possibly a pre-paid phone card, as well as a charger for your mobile phone, that is a mobile one, not one that you plug in. If you do have a pet you should have additional pet food and supplies, infant formula, baby food supplies, activities for children, if you do have young children like books, puzzles, and or toys, just to keep them entertained.

If you do have any prescriptions, make sure that you do have your prescription medicines available. Medical equipment, household chlorine bleach, or water purifying tablets. And it doesn't hurt to have some basic tools such as hammers, pliers, wrenches, screwdriver, work gloves, pocket knife, a small fuel operated stove, a whistle, again to attract attention, and duct tape, famous red-green duct tape; you never know when you can use that or need it.

But these are things that a person should have together. And as well, you should try and put as much as you can in either a backpack that is portable so that if you do have to leave your place of residence, then it's there, it's available, and off you can go.

Rob: Always good to be prepared, it pays off in the end. And if you'd like to get a list of all these items and get further ideas, you can find these on the website.

Greg: That's correct, nohassleinsurance.ca or come on down and see any of the fine people here at the corner of First and Fairford.

(Video transcription by Speechpad)

What Belongs In Your Home Emergency Kit? - Ask The Expert With Greg Marcyniuk

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