Defining an emergency

For the purpose of emergency planning, an emergency is any sudden event which: 

• endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person 
• destroys or threatens to destroy or damage property 
• endangers or threatens to endanger the environment or an element of the environment. 

Emergency events can include: 

• fires 
• severe weather conditions 
• hazardous material spills 
• flash flooding 
• utility disruption such as loss of gas, electricity, telephone, or water supply 
• explosions 
• major infrastructure damage. 

Take time to prepare for an emergency and learn about the basic first steps that you can take to help keep you and your household safe.