As they do nearly every spring, Canadian Red Cross staff and volunteers in Fredericton, New Brunswick are closely monitoring the St. John River that runs through the city and near many other communities for potential flooding. River Watch 2011 is officially on with water levels expected to be at or near flooding over the next few days, but that hasn’t stopped our busy staff and volunteers from sharing their own preparedness tips with Red Cross Talks to mark Emergency Preparedness Week.
Must-have emergency kit items include the typical (water) to the somewhat more unusual (flat iron)! The most important thing of course is to have a kit with some key essentials, but you can also customize it to your needs. Here’s a sample of what our dedicated Red Crossers in Fredericton include in their personal kits:
Brad P: My voice recorder. This is my one thing I basically can't live without, plus I can record everything that is happening!
Elizabeth B: Ketchup. Ketchup makes any food edible. Most people always forget the one essential tool you need with non-perishable food items – a can opener. Board games and card games are also a great addition to emergency preparedness kits. 
Kate S: My flat iron. It at least will fix any hair-related disasters... but seriously, water! I drink lots of it, so I have several litres tucked away in the basement. It’s not quirky but it is essential! Also, all my soups are high end... I once found a chicken heart in my chicken noodle soup, so won’t eat the regular stuff.
It’s no wonder our staff and volunteers have kits ready to go. Fredericton residents experienced severe flooding in 2008, and additional flooding occurred along the river as recently as December 2010. You can’t always forecast disasters the way you can spring flooding so check out our handy list of kit items and other important tips to help you prepare for the unexpected at www.redcross.ca/ready.