Home ready

Prepare your home

You can help reduce the effects of disaster on you and your property by taking the following actions: 

• Securing heavy items of furniture to the floor or wall.
• Store loose items (dinnerware, crockery, and kitchenware) securely.
• Removing or securing objects that may fall and cause damage such as wardrobes, bookcases, appliances or ornaments.
• Store household products and chemicals safely to reduce risk of spillage.
• Get a builder to check the structural soundness of your home.
• If you see signs of ground movement get the grounds checked by a civil engineer. 

When the power goes out, remember - fresh food first

• Plan to use fresh food first then refrigerated and frozen foods. Use tinned and dry foods last. 
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The fridge will keep food cold for about four hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.
• How do you know if it is safe to eat?  Once food reaches the temperature of 5°C or above for more than two hours it greatly increases the risk of growth by microorganisms that can cause illness.  Do not use frozen food that has thawed or refrigerated food that has warmed up.  The only exceptions to this are butter/margarine, hard cheeses, raw eggs (still in eggshells), fruit and vegetables.  The rule of thumb is “if in doubt, throw it out”.

Plan for your pets

Pets are members of our families too so don't forget to prepare for them. Here are some tips to ensure you'll be able to look after your pets during an emergency. 

• Arrange for a neighbour to check on your pets in case an emergency occurs when you are not home. 
• Keep pet tags up to date.
• Consider having your pets microchipped. This will make it easier to trace them if they go missing.
• Include your pets in your emergency plan. Basic pet supplies to keep in your getaway kit should include leashes, food, and safe drinking water for at least three days.
• Blankets and a carry case for each animal with your contact details attached.

• Get Ready
  This is the go-to website for all things emergency preparedness with information and tips for households, businesses, schools, whānau and marae, multilingual groups and those with special requirements.
• Red Cross Hazard App
  This is a vital tool to help you understand, prepare, receive alerts and get you through a disaster event. 
• National Emergency Management Agency
  NEMA works at a national level with central and local government, iwi, and business to make sure responses to and recoveries from emergencies are effective and integrated.
  
• MetService
  Keep up to date with any weather warnings which may be issued around the Canterbury region. 
• Fire and Emergency New Zealand
  Find lots of useful resources for fire risk management, how to light fires safely and how to check it's alright before lighting a fire.
• NZ Transport Agency
  If an emergency were to hit, NZ Transport Agency will show what roads/highways are open or which are affected.
• GeoNet
  Think you have felt a shake?  Check out the GeoNet website to see the location and magnitude. 
• EQC Fix. Fasten. Don't Forget
  Whether you own your home, rent a property or are thinking of buying, find out what you can do to make your home safer for you, your family or flatmates.

If you need to evacuate your home, you may not have much time to prepare so it's worth putting together a getaway kit and keeping it in a handy place. You'll want to tailor this to your household's specific needs, but consider including:

• Torch and radio with spare batteries.
• Any special needs such as hearing aids and spare batteries, glasses or mobility aids.
• Emergency water and easy-to-carry food rations such as energy bars and dried foods in case there are delays in reaching a civil defence centre or a place where you might find support. If you have any special dietary requirements, ensure you have extra supplies.
• First aid kit and essential medicines.
• Essential items for infants or young children such as formula and food, nappies and a favourite toy.
• Change of clothes (wind/waterproof clothing and strong outdoor shoes).
• Toiletries – toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, hand sanitiser, sanitary items, toilet paper.
• Phone charger and essential contact numbers.
• Blankets or sleeping bags.
• Face and dust masks.
• Pet supplies.

Include important documents in your getaway kit: Identification (birth and marriage certificates, drivers' licences and passports), financial documents (e.g. insurance policies and mortgage information), and precious family photos. You may want to save scans of your documents onto a memory stick or save them in the cloud.

Resources on how to get prepared around the home have been translated in several languages and can be found at getready.govt.nz.