My Emergency Plan

There are a number of things you can do to help keep you and your family safe during an emergency.

Electrical safety

• When using a generator as backup power in your home, make sure that it has been properly installed by a licensed electrician
• Follow the manufacturer's safety instructions when using generators
• Never plug a generator into a regular electrical outlet in your home
• Never plug portable generators hooked into a regular electrical outlet in your home
• Never use barbecues, gas generators or other gas-fueled appliances inside your home (carbon monoxide fumes can kill you very quickly)

Food Safety

• Beware of food contamination
• Keep your full chest freezer closed during a power outage to keep everything frozen for about two days
• Keep food cool for four to six hours in a refrigerator during a power outage
• Throw out any food if you think it may be spoiled

Water Safety

• Bring water to a boil for 10 minutes, if you suspect your drinking water supply is contaminated
• Add five drops of chlorine bleach to 4.5 L of clear water and let it stand for 15 minutes if you can't boil your water
• Add 10 drops of chlorine bleach to 4.5 L of cloudy water and let it stand for 30 minutes if you can't boil your water

Helping others

• Make sure you are safe before helping others
• Stay calm and reassure your children so they are also calm
• Check on your neighbours, especially elderly neighbours, if it is safe to do so

Safety planning

The Government of Canada also has tips on what to do before an emergency event, such as tornadoes, power outages and other emergencies.

Learn more about emergency planning.

The Government of Canada's Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities and Special Needs has helpful information about emergency planning for those with special needs, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

Authorities order an evacuation during emergencies, if they think it is necessary for your safety. Local media notifies the community when there's an evacuation.

When ordered to evacuate you must:

• Shut off water and electricity, if requested to do so by authorities (do not shut off your gas unless you are specifically told to do so)
• Collect your survival kit and emergency plan
• Contact your out-of-town emergency contact to tell them where you are evacuating to, if there is time to do so
• Leave a note at home with information about where you are evacuating to
• Lock up your home

Evacuation Centres

If you need shelter, the Township of Scugog's designated evacuation centre is the Scugog Community Recreation Centre located at:

1655 Reach Street
Port Perry, ON L9L 1P2

Authorities announce a "shelter-in-place" order when there's dangerous chemical, biological or radioactive material released into the air. This means that you need to stay inside your home or workplace.

During a shelter-in-place event, you must:

• Close and lock all windows and exterior doors
• Close all window coverings
• Turn off heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), as well as any vents and fans
• Shut fireplace dampers
• Seal cracks around doors and vents with duct tape
• Take your survival kit and radio and seek shelter in a small interior room with no or few windows until you are told that the shelter-in-place order has ended