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By their very nature, you never know when an emergency will occur. They come out of the blue, in varying degrees of severity. And although it’s impossible to know when they’ll strike, it is possible to develop a home emergency plan so that you and your children understand what needs to happen when an unexpected event occurs. Half of it is knowing when you need to call in the professionals and what you can reasonably deal with yourself.

A Burst Pipe

When this happens, it can be quite shocking. You need to act quickly to prevent water damage to your home and possessions. Make sure that you know where the mains water valve is located in your property, and immediately shut it off.

Then make a full inspection of the pipes to see where the fault has occurred. Lengths of piping will need to replaced by a professional, so look for plumbers in Sydney to repair the damage. And if the cause of the burst is freezing water, you may need to consider upgrading and replacing the pipe insulation.

A Broken Window

Whether it’s an attempted break in or a sports accident, a broken window can be dangerous – it makes your property unsecured and the glass poses a danger to children and pets. Pull on some thick gardening gloves and assess the damage. Pick up any larger glass shards from the floor and wrap carefully in newspaper, and also remove any larger loose pieces from the frame.

Seal the window temporarily by using plastic sheeting or a trash bag cut with scissors and secured in place with gaffer tape, doing several layers to keep the worst of the elements out while you wait for a replacement window.

A Power Outage

Every so often the power will go down, and you can bet it will be the most inconvenient time! Keep a heavy duty flashlight under your kitchen sink for easy access. Also with a pack of tealight candles and something to light them with. Check for lights in the street to see if it’s just a problem in your house or in the whole of the area.

Check the breakers to see if there has been a power surge. If it’s the whole neighborhood, use the Internet on your phone to visit the power company website for further information. If it looks like the power will be out for a while, you need to think about your frozen foods. Either transfer them into cool bags with ice packs or see if a friend or relative can store them temporarily until your freezer is back up and running.

A Kitchen Fire

A fire in the kitchen can be very frightening, and it’s your quick reactions which will prevent the situation spiralling out of control. Remember, you should never use water on a grease or electrical fire – first smother the flames with a tea towel or a small fire blanket if you have one. Starve the flames of oxygen – you can also improvise with flour or baking soda.

A quick reaction in an emergency can keep your family safe and your home intact so be prepared.