The hazards or threats currently faced in Markham are similar to those faced in most Greater Toronto Area municipalities. The top hazards include, but are not limited to:
- Cyber-attack causing major technical failure of communications systems causing widespread multi-day communications breakdown
- Special Event, e.g. Pan Am Games, causing transportation and service disruption
- Hazardous Materials Incident - Transport accidents involving trucks or railcars
- Severe winter storms (blizzards, ice storms) causing travel and business disruption
- Natural Gas pipeline emergency causing evacuations
- Severe summer storms (high wind/rain, tornadoes, hurricanes) with sustained rainfall and potential flash floods causing widespread property damage
- Epidemic of infectious disease outbreaks in humans or animals causing mass apprehension and reaction
- Terrorism/ Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE ) causing widespread disruption, casualties, fear and affecting social and economic welfare
No one can predict the future, but if you are prepared for emergencies, you’ll be ready for any event. Learn how you can plan for different emergency scenarios by clicking on the tiles below.
Make a Plan
It is important to have a family emergency plan. It takes only 30 minutes to prepare one.
Your family emergency plan should include:
- Know where the safe exits from your home.
- Map different routes out of your neighbourhood.
- Identify designated meeting places to reunite with family or roommates close to your neighbourhood and then farther away.
- Identify a designated person to pick up your children if you can’t.
- Names and contact information for persons nearby and out-of-town.
- How you and your family will communicate if cell phone lines are busy. Texting or using out of town contacts as a central point of communication are recommended.
- Health and insurance information for you and your family.
- List of places for your pet to stay.
- A list of possible risks in your community.
- Know where your fire extinguisher, water valve, electrical panel, gas valve and floor drain are located.
Commuters
If you are a commuter in Markham, please use this Commuter Emergency Plan [PDF]. Use it to create your own commuter emergency plan. It will be helpful if there are travel delays caused by:
- Severe weather events
- Power outages
- Heavy traffic
Pets
You should have a 72-hour (3 day) emergency plan for your pet. Use this Pet Emergency Kit Checklist [PDF] to create a plan.
Have your pet licensed and microchipped. This makes it easier to reunite you with your pet if you are ever separated in the event of an emergency.
Some shelters and hotels will only accept service animals. In an emergency, you may not be able to keep your pet with you. Make a list of hotels, veterinary clinics, and animal shelters where you could bring your pet. Check with friends and family members who would be willing to care for your pet if you must evacuate your home.
Get an Emergency Kit
You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for 72-hours (3 days). A Home Emergency Preparedness Kit will help you do that.
- Our Emergency Preparedness Guide [PDF] includes instruction about how to make a kit. If someone in your home has special needs, include their special items in your home kit.
- If you have a pet, make a Pet Emergency Preparedness Kit [PDF].
- Keep an Emergency Car Kit in every vehicle you own.
- Have a “Grab and Go” Emergency Kit for each member of your household. Keep these near your exit doors. This helps if you must evacuate your home quickly.
A basic emergency preparedness kit should include:
- Water – 4 litres per person per day (2 litres for drinking and 2 litres for sanitation and food preparation)
- Non-perishable food (for example: canned food, dried food, energy bars)
- Manual can opener
- Wind-up or battery-powered radio and flashlight
- First aid kit
- Extra keys for home and car
- Cash in small bills and change
- Change of clothes
- Emergency blanket/sleeping bag
- Special items such as prescription medications, infant formula, etc.
Download Your Emergency Preparedness Guide
For more information on Emergency Preparedness visit:
Contest Rules
The City of Markham has an emergency management program. It meets the requirements of Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and Ontario Regulation 380/04.
Markham’s Emergency Management Program (MEMP) consists of:
- An emergency plan based on hazards and threats identified in Markham.
- Annual training for Markham employees involved in responding to emergency.
- An annual emergency exercise to provide an opportunity for city staff to practice how to respond in an emergency.
- A public education program about risks to public safety and how to be prepared for an emergency.
Read The City of Markham’s Emergency Plan (MEMP) [PDF].
For more information on the MEMP, please contact:
Sonia Singh, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
905.477.7000 extension 2471
Email: ssingh@markham.ca
The following contact information is helpful in an emergency. Keep a copy of it in your home, your car and at work. You can also download this information: Markham Emergency and Non-Emergency Information Sheet [PDF].
Emergency & Health Services
- York Regional Police
(Non-Emergency) 905.773.1221 or 1.866.8POLICE
- York Region Public Emergency Medical Services
905.830.4444 extension 74181 or 1.800.361.5653
- Markham Stouffville Hospital
(Non-Emergency) 905.472.7000 or (Emergency) 905.472.7111
- Community Care Access Centre of York Region
1.888.470.2222
- Markham Fire & Emergency Services
905.415.7521 (Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM) or 905.477.2011 (after-hours, weekends, holidays)
Utility Companies
Government Agencies
General Information
Services for Homeless in Markham
Vulnerable people in York Region can get housing support. The York Region Community & Health Services Department currently funds these shelter services:
Daily Shelter Services
“Inn from the Cold” – call 905.895.8889
- Shelter is open 8 PM to 8 AM, 7 days a week from November to April
York Region Street Outreach Van – call 1.866.553.4053 from 2 to 9 PM, 7 days a week
- Operates in Markham 4 to 5 PM on Sundays and 2 to 5 PM on Tuesdays
Limited Operation Shelter Services
Mosaic Interfaith Out of the Cold Program - call 416.948.6682
- Shelters are located within faith organizations
- Shelter locations rotate with schedule posted on their website at www.miotc.ca
If you see someone sleeping outside during an extreme cold warning, contact York Region Police: 905.773.1221.
Alert Ready
Notice: The Alert Ready Public Awareness Test that was scheduled for May 8, 2019 at 2:55 PM in Ontario is now postponed due to the recent floods in Ottawa, which has kept many communities and emergency management partners busy with response efforts.
Alert Ready is Canada’s emergency alerting system. Alert Ready delivers critical and potentially life-saving alerts to Canadians through television, radio and LTE-connected and compatible wireless devices. The Alert Ready system was developed with many partners, including federal, provincial and territorial emergency management officials, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Pelmorex, the broadcasting industry and wireless service providers. Together, these partners work to ensure Canadians receive alerts immediately and know when to take action to stay safe.
The City of Markham will use an Alert Ready Notification if there is an emergency/disaster that impacts the City.
During an Alert Ready notification, you will hear a distinctive tone on television, radio or on your wireless device, please pay attention and take action right away.
Notice for the Visually and Hearing Impaired: Alternate formats of the alerts may be issued, however, not every alerting authority or device has the capability to produce or receive these formats. Broadcasters may use text-to-speech software to create an audio version of an alert message. Emergency alerts may be read to the recipient if your device supports this feature. The vibration feature that accompanies emergency alerts is available to alert Canadians. Please contact your wireless provider for more services which may be available to you.
For more information, visit the Alert Ready website.
Other Forms of Communication
Radio
The City of Markham and 105.9 The Region (CFMS) will provide regular updates on emergency situations in the community. Tune in to 105.9 FM to hear these updates.
Information will also be made available through the City’s website and social media accounts. Please follow the City of Markham on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Electronic Information Boards
These digital screens can be found at City facilities including community centres, libraries and administrative sites (Civic Centre).
York Regional Police Community Alert
Sign up for alerts from York Regional Police. Register for the program to be notified about situations such as:
- Break and enters
- Vehicle thefts
- Missing children
- Emergency alerts
Documents & Resources
Emergency Plans
Emergency Preparedness Resources
Ontario Seniors - How to be Prepared for an Emergency
Emergency Preparedness Activities for Children and Teens
