Emergency Preparedness Week

Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) is May 4 to 10 in 2025 and is a great time to learn about getting prepared for emergencies. More information about this year’s EP Week will be announced soon.

2024 EP Week

Emergency Preparedness Week was May 5 to 11 in 2024. The theme was "Using technology before, during and after emergencies."

Technology is used in many ways to help us mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. Examples include:

• satellites that forecast weather
• maps showing real-time wildfire information
• infrastructure that prevents flooding
• broadcast intrusive emergency alerts

Get prepared with our tech tips

Emergencies can happen at any time, and there are things we can do to make sure we are better prepared to respond.

Know the hazards in your community

From earthquakes and tsunamis to wildfires and floods, hazards vary from region to region. Knowing the hazards that are most likely to happen in your community can help you focus your preparedness actions, navigate disruptions and get you back to regular activities sooner.

Tech tip: Use the PreparedBC hazard map to see what emergencies could happen near you!

Make your emergency plan

Emergencies can be stressful. An emergency plan says how you and the people you live with will respond during an emergency. Having a home emergency plan will help you stay calm, connected, focused, and safe during an emergency. 

Tech tip: Check out the interactive Emergency Ready Planner. Follow the prompts to make a customized home emergency plan that you can print off or save to your cellphone, tablet or computer! 

Build your emergency kit and grab-and-go bags

After an emergency, you may need to:

• Stay at home with an emergency kit or
• Leave immediately with a grab-and-go bag

Check out our basic supply list. Add items based on your specific needs, and don’t forget to include stuff for your pets.

Tech tip: Sometimes the best technology is the kind that has been around for a while, like pens, paper, and batteries. Be sure to include these in your kit and bags!

More information

For information on Emergency Preparedness Week 2025 and for year-round preparedness tips, follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.