Join us during Emergency Preparedness Week (EP Week) to increase our community’s resilience by learning about emergency preparedness. EP Week is a provincial and national event supported by the BC Government and Public Safety Canada.
Preparing for an emergency does not need to be difficult. Start by getting informed on the risks in your community, make a plan, and then build a kit. Download UBC’s Emergency Preparedness Guide to get started.
As part of the UBC community, we all have a role to play in an emergency. We want you to Be Prepared and Take Action so you, your loved ones, and our community are better prepared for emergencies. Here are some helpful links and tips to keep you informed and better prepared.
Get Informed
- Hazards & Risks may vary depending on your geographic location. Be aware of the hazards that may impact your community and be prepared to take action.
- UBC Alert is the university’s mass notification system to send information in urgent situations that pose an immediate safety or security risk to the community. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date on Workday to receive alerts and notifications in an urgent situation. Learn more about UBC Alert.
- Use the UBC Safe App for notifications and safety information. Download the UBC Safe App and enable notifications to receive important safety push notifications, safety information, contacts, maps and procedures — all in one place!
- Stay informed during your commute. Sign up for emergency alerts from Metro Vancouver.
Get prepared
- Make a plan and review it with your loved ones. Ensuring you have a plan is the best way to protect yourself and your family. Identify a local meeting place for family and friends to convene after an emergency. List all personal contacts and choose a primary contact person, preferably out of province, who your loved ones can check in with. Learn more about making a plan.
- Building your emergency kit doesn’t need to be expensive or take a lot of time. Having an emergency kit is invaluable after a disaster, and having one at home, in the car and at the office will ensure you’re prepared at all times. Learn more about building an emergency kit.
- Some of us are spending more time at home due to remote work, so getting your home ready for the unexpected is even more important. When our homes become our places of work, make sure you and your loved ones are safe. Learn more about preparing your home for an emergency.
- Departments/faculties should practice workplace preparedness. Although supplies are important, the planning around building kits is even more beneficial to creating an internal culture of readiness. Start a conversation with faculty and staff, and encourage them to think in a holistic way about office preparedness. Emergency kits are unique to each individual because they may contain prescription medications, family contact information/plans, extra clothing, and cash — this is why departments are not responsible for providing kits. Make sure you’re prepared by having an emergency kit at work in addition to your kit at home and in your car. Learn more about departmental readiness.
Take action
Having the knowledge, plans, and supplies you need to react appropriately to any and all emergencies will not only contribute to our community’s overall ability to respond and recover, but it will also give you a sense of assurance in a time of crisis. Learn more about how to take action in an emergency situation.