Keep Offline Information Ready

When the internet is down, the info you need most should still be at hand — contacts, maps, and key documents on paper or saved offline.

🚨 What should I do right now?✅ Build a checklist

🗓️ Planning ahead⏱️ About 5 min read🔎 Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Different living situations

No house, car, garage or credit card assumed.

House or apartment

You likely have the most storage. Keep supplies near an exit, not in a locked shed or a deep basement you may not be able to reach.

Single rented room

Think in one tote and one backpack. Under the bed and the back of a closet are your storage. Flat, stackable items beat bulky ones.

Shelter or supportive housing

Ask staff about the building's emergency plan, exits and medication storage. Keep a small personal pouch with ID copies, meds and phone charger on you.

Vehicle

Keep weight low and spread out. Water, warm layers, a light and a phone charger matter most. Never cook or run a heater inside a closed vehicle.

Tent or sleeping outside

Dry beats big. Prioritise waterproofing, warmth off the ground, a light, water and a whistle. Keep the essentials in one bag you can grab and carry.

Workplace or school

A small desk or locker kit — water, a snack, a light, comfortable shoes, meds and a contact card — covers most of what you'd need to get home.

Moving between places

Carry your plan on paper and in your phone. Copies of ID, a contact card and your medication list travel with you; bulk supplies stay with someone you trust.

Accessibility, health and medication

Mobility: keep supplies at waist height and in a bag you can pull or carry. Store a spare cane, walker part or wheelchair repair kit if you rely on one.
Vision: label items with large print or texture tape and keep a torch and spare glasses in a fixed, known spot.
Hearing: turn on text-based emergency alerts, keep a written note card of key needs, and ask someone to text you rather than call.
Cognitive: use a short one-page plan with pictures or few words. Practise the first three steps only.
Medication: keep a written list of names, doses and prescriber. Ask your pharmacy about an emergency supply.
Refrigerated medication: keep a small cooler and ice packs ready, know how long your medication stays usable warm, and ask your pharmacist to confirm.
Powered equipment (oxygen, CPAP, lifts): register with BC Hydro's medical program, keep a charged backup battery, and know the nearest place with power.
Service animals: pack water, food, and a copy of vaccination records; a service animal is allowed with you in reception centres.
Mental health: emergencies make everything louder. Slow down, use the grounding steps, and reach a crisis line at 988 or 1-888-494-3888.
Substance use: never use alone during a disruption. Carry naloxone, and check it hasn't expired.
Limited English or reading: use picture cards, keep translated key phrases, and ask an outreach worker to help write your plan.

🚫 Mistakes to avoid

Do not wait for a perfect kit. A half kit today beats a perfect kit next year.
Do not skip rent, food or medication to buy survival gear.
Do not run a generator, barbecue, camp stove or charcoal indoors, in a tent, or in a vehicle — carbon monoxide is invisible and fatal.
Do not store everything in one place you might not be able to reach.
Do not rely only on your phone; batteries die and networks jam.
Do not drive or walk into moving water, smoke, or past a barricade.

☎️ Numbers worth writing down

Fire, police, ambulance: 911 — Life-threatening emergency, fire, or someone not breathing.
HealthLink BC: 811 — Free 24/7 nurse advice when you're not sure it's a 911 situation.
Poison control (BC): 1-800-567-8911 — Swallowed, breathed in, or spilled anything harmful.
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988 — Call or text, 24/7, anywhere in Canada.
Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 1-888-494-3888 — 24/7 local mental-health and emotional support.
BC Hydro outages: 1-888-769-3766 — Report an outage or a downed line (stay 10 m back).
Emergency Info BC: EmergencyInfoBC.gov.bc.ca — Current evacuation alerts and orders.

Personal notes: ______________________________________________

Date last checked: ____________________

Key takeaways

Print a contact and address list for your kit.
Save offline maps of your area on your phone.
Keep copies of key documents in a waterproof bag.

Step-by-step

Print the essentials. A one-page sheet with phone numbers, addresses, and the family plan beats a dead phone.
Download offline maps. Save your region for offline use so you can navigate without data.
Protect documents. Keep copies of ID, insurance, and prescriptions in a sealed waterproof bag.

✅ Printable checklist

Printed contact + address sheet
Offline maps downloaded
Document copies in waterproof bag
Backup of photos/records saved