Get Ready: Emergency Kits
Our community is very susceptible to the effects of winter weather due to our vulnerable population and our exposed location.
Together we can help our friends, family and neighbours be prepared for inclement winter weather, reducing the effects it has on our homes, our mental and physical health and our wider community.
Have a winter emergency kit in your home
A home emergency kit is one of the best ways to deal with the unexpected.
Ready Scotland recommends that all households build a small emergency kit and keep it in a safe place. This will help prepare you for a wide range of emergency situations, and minimise the stress or expense that unexpected events can bring.
Make sure that you include a copy of your household emergency plan. Ready Scotland has a plan template that you can download to your device or print out and keep in a safe place. It also includes an emergency kit checklist.
You can view further information here: https://ready.scot/prepare/emergency-kit
The Met Office also has some advice on how to prepare for winter emergencies
Aberdeen City Council - Get Ready for winter
Elderly-Vulnerable 4pp.pdfAberdeen City Council Leaflet on Winter Preparedness
A sample emergency kit could include:
A battery-operated torch and spare batteries (or a wind-up torch)
A battery-operated radio and spare batteries (or a wind-up radio)
A mobile phone charger
Any essential medication, some toiletries and a first aid kit
Three days' supply of bottled water and ready to eat food (that won't go off)
Copies of important documents e.g. insurance policies, birth certificates
Blankets
Pencil, paper, a penknife and a whistle
Spare keys to your home and car
Spare glasses or contact lenses
Pet supplies
Formula/baby food
Putty or a repair clamp for fixing burst pipes
You might also wish to consider keeping some parts of the kit together in a waterproof bag, in case you need to leave your home without notice e.g. if your home is at risk of flooding.
In the winter, you might also want to put some items in your car:
A first aid kit
Battery jump leads
A torch and spare batteries
A paper map book for unplanned diversions
A blanket
A reflective warning sign
In cold weather, you should also take:
An ice scraper and de-icer
A shovel for snow
Warm clothes and boots
Some food, and a warm drink in a flask
Torch, head torch, candles, matches
Wind-up radio
Power bank and cables
First aid kit and emergency medicines
This portion of our website has been funded by a 2024 community council grant from the National Centre for Resilience.