Emergency kit
Print a household emergency kit checklist
Natural disasters can cause major disruptions to essential services. So it's important to prepare and maintain your household emergency kit.
Your emergency kit contains essential items to keep you and your household in the event of a disaster. The kit should be kept in a sturdy, easy-to-carry bag or waterproof storage box and stored in a safe, easy to access place.
Your emergency kit should contain enough supplies for everyone in your household to survive for three days without outside contact or help.
What to keep in your emergency kit
Food and water
- 3-day supply of non-perishable food—plus a can opener, cooking gear (barbeque or portable stove, etc.), plates and utensils
- Clean water in sealed containers (10 litres per person is recommended for 3 day's supply)
- Water purification tablets
- Esky or gas/battery-powered refrigerator
Medical and sanitation supplies
- First-aid kit and manual
- Medications, prescriptions and dosage information
- Toiletry and personal hygiene supplies (toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, hand sanitiser, sunscreen and insect repellent, etc.)
- Spare spectacles
Lighting
- Torch with extra batteries (or wind-up torch)
- Battery-powered lantern
Communications
- Mobile phone, spare charged batteries and charger (or wind-up charger)
- Battery-powered radio with extra batteries (or wind-up radio)
- Traditional wired telephone (for land line)
- Pre-paid phone cards and coins for pay-phone calls
Clothing, footwear and bedding
- Warm jumpers, waterproof jackets, hats and gloves for everyone
- Closed-toe shoes or boots for everyone
- Spare clothing and bedding, stored in plastic bags
- Woollen and thermal blankets
Tools and supplies
- Plastic sheeting and duct tape (or masking tape) to tape windows
- Whistle
- Utility knife
- Plastic garbage bags and ties
- Safety glasses and sun glasses
- Wide masking tape (or duct tape) for windows
- Wrench or pliers to turn off all utilities
- Tent and tarpaulin
Miscellaneous items
- Supplies for infants, the elderly and people with special needs
- Spare house and car keys
- Cash—you may not be able to access ATMs due to power failures
Important documents
Keep original or certified copies of the following documents in your emergency kit. Scan the documents and save copies on a USB memory stick or CD to include in your kit. Keep everything in sealed plastic bags.
- Insurance documents for your house, contents, cars and valuable items
- An inventory of valuable household goods
- Wills and life insurance documents
- House deeds / mortgage documents
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Passports / visa details
- Stocks and bonds
- Medicare and pension card details, and immunisation records
- Bank account and credit card details
- Back-up copies of important computer files
- A copy of your household emergency plan with emergency contact phone numbers
If you have pets...
- Pet food and enough water for 3 days
- Pet supplies and information (e.g. vet papers, leash, collar with identification tag, bed, litter pan and scooper, carrier, and medication)
- Preparing your pets for a disaster.
