A recent power outage left me wishing I'd been better prepared - and helped me learn how I can be ready for next time. 

In today’s digital world, many of us realize how helpful technology is to our daily lives. Whether we’re mapping destinations, ordering food, making plans, even banking, our smart phones offer a lot of convenience in our hands. But have you thought about how this technology could help save your life or the life of another in an emergency?

In late November 2016, the Ecuadorian Red Cross, with support from the Magen David Adom (MDA), the Israeli National Red Cross Society, conducted mass-casualty incident (MCI) training in Ecuador. An MCI is a situation – natural or man-made – where emergency crews become overwhelmed by the number of casualties. Many Red Cross National Societies respond to MCIs in their home countries; these Societies then share their knowledge with other Societies to improve their response capabilities.

As Canadians, we know winter storms, including blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold, are common this time of year. Some of the risks related to winter weather include extended power outages, treacherous driving conditions and frigid temperatures. Are you and your family prepared for a weather-related emergency?

At the Canadian Red Cross we know how important having an emergency kit is, and we were looking for a new way to get the word out. So we turned to BUNZ Trading Zone. 

When the time came to evacuate his Abasand home due to the wildfire, Dan Edwards had only a few moments to grab the essentials - luckily, he was prepared with his emergency kit for a moment just like this. 

Update: The Be Ready app is no longer supported as of the end of 2020. Find out apps and resources for up-to-date information and alerts. 

 

Last summer, we had a few tornado scares in Southern Alberta. Working at the Red Cross, I felt as though I was prepared to stay safe. However, I learned that there are actually a lot of myths around tornado safety. Learn more about some of the most common ones.