Emergency preparedness in Canada: official guidance at a glance

Short answer. Public Safety Canada asks every household to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours ¹. Alerts come through Alert Ready on TV, radio and compatible phones ⁴. Potassium iodide pills are pre-distributed free near Ontario nuclear plants and Point Lepreau, New Brunswick ⁵⁶. Canada has no public fallout shelter network ³. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1 ⁷.

Information checked on 20 October 2026. Lead federal body: Public Safety Canada (Get Prepared program), with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the CRTC and each province's or territory's emergency management organization.

What does Canada ask households to prepare?

At least 72 hours of supplies: water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and radio, a first aid kit, cash, medications and copies of documents ¹². The two official pages disagree on water: 2 litres per person per day on the 2026 checklist ¹, about 4 litres on the kits page ².

• Emergency supplies: how long and how much
• The official kit list, item by item

How will you be warned?

Alert Ready sends alerts to TV, radio and compatible LTE or 5G phones with a distinctive tone; phone alerts cannot be switched off ⁴. There is no national siren network; sirens exist only locally, such as around the Pickering nuclear station.

• Alerts in Canada

Where do you shelter?

Canada has no public fallout or blast shelters. Officials tell people to shelter in place, ready to stay indoors at least 24 hours, or to go to reception centres announced in the alert ³.

• Public shelters in Canada

Who gets potassium iodide?

Homes and businesses within 10 km of Ontario nuclear plants ⁵¹⁰ and within 20 km of Point Lepreau ⁶ receive KI pills free. People within 50 km in Ontario ¹⁰ or 57 km in New Brunswick ⁶ can order them free. Take KI only when public health officials say so ⁵.

• Potassium iodide in Canada

Can you build a private shelter?

We found no Canadian law specific to private fallout shelters and no current Canadian technical standard. Building codes and municipal permits presumably apply as to any construction.

• Building a shelter in Canada: what the rules say

Who do you call?

9-1-1 for police, fire and ambulance ⁷, and a public line for every provincial and territorial emergency management office.

• Emergency contacts in Canada

What is Canada's preparedness campaign?

Get Prepared, run by Public Safety Canada, with Emergency Preparedness Week each May: 3-9 May 2026, theme "Be Prepared. Know Your Risks" ⁸. The printed booklet Your emergency preparedness guide: 72 hours - is your family prepared? dates from 2012 ⁹.

Frequently asked questions

Which agency is responsible for emergency preparedness in Canada?

Public Safety Canada leads federally through Get Prepared ⁸; each province and territory has its own emergency management organization.

Is there a printed emergency guide in Canada?

Yes: Your emergency preparedness guide: 72 hours - is your family prepared?, published by Public Safety Canada in 2012 (catalogue PS4-26/1-1-2012E-PDF) ⁹.

Where should I start?

Build the 72-hour kit ¹, then a family plan: see our guide how to make a family emergency plan.

Sources

1. Public Safety Canada (Canada.ca) — Emergency kit checklist — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits/get-kit.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Public Safety Canada (Canada.ca) — Emergency kits — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Public Safety Canada (Canada.ca) — Radiological and nuclear emergencies – Get prepared — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/hazards-emergencies/radiological/how-prepare.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Alert Ready (Pelmorex Corp. with federal, provincial and territorial emergency management officials) — Alert Ready Emergency Alert System — https://www.alertready.ca/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) — Potassium iodide pills – Quick facts — https://cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca/eng/resources/emergency-management-and-safety/potassium-iodide-pills-quick-facts (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. Government of New Brunswick (NB Emergency Measures Organization) — Nuclear Emergency Preparedness Program — https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/laws-safety/emergency-preparedness-alerts/nuclear-emergency-preparedness.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) — 9-1-1 Services for Traditional Wireline, VoIP and Wireless Phone Services — https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/phone/911/can.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. Public Safety Canada (Canada.ca) — Emergency Preparedness Week 2026 — https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-preparedness-week.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
9. Public Safety Canada (Government of Canada Publications) — Your emergency preparedness guide : 72 hours - is your family prepared? — https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.695019/publication.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
10. Ontario Ministry of Health (via Ontario Healthline) — Radiation Health Response Plan (Ontario Ministry of Health service listing, updated 2025-05-08) — https://www.southwesthealthline.ca/displayservice.aspx?id=173971 (accessed 2026-10-20)