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First Aid Kit

Keep a first aid kit readily available in your home, cottage, car, boat, workplace, and recreation area. Store it in a dry place and replace used or outdated contents regularly.

A first aid kit should contain the following:

  • Emergency telephone numbers for EMS/9-1-1, your local poison control centre, and your personal doctors
  • Home and office phone numbers for family members, friends, or neighbours who can help
  • Sterile gauze pads (dressings) in small and large squares to place over wounds
  • Adhesive tape
  • Roller and triangular bandages to hold dressings in place or to make an arm sling
  • Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
  • Scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Safety pins
  • Instant ice packs
  • Disposable non-latex gloves, such as surgical or examination gloves
  • Flashlight, with extra batteries in a separate bag
  • Antiseptic wipes or soap
  • Pencil and pad
  • Emergency blanket
  • Eye patches
  • Thermometer
  • Barrier devices, such as a pocket mask or face shield
  • Coins for pay phone
  • Canadian Red Cross first aid manual

Emergency Supplies Kit


Have supplies ready for an emergency. Store them in a backpack or a duffle bag so you can take them with you if you have to evacuate the area.

  • Four litres of water per person per day (use sealed, unbreakable containers and replace the supply every six months)
  • Packaged or canned food that won’t go bad, and a can opener (replace the food once a year)
  • Walking shoes, rain gear, and a change of clothing
  • Blankets or sleeping bags
  • A first aid kit and prescription medications (check the medications every six months to make sure they haven’t passed their expiry date)
  • Toilet paper and other personal supplies
  • An extra pair of glasses
  • A battery-powered radio and flashlight, along with extra batteries
  • Spare cash
  • An extra set of car keys
  • A list of your family doctors
  • Important family information such as a list of any medical conditions or medical devices, such as pacemakers
  • Photocopies of all important identification for you and your family, including health card numbers
  • Special items for babies, elderly, or disabled household members
  • Cell phone and contact information for family and friends

Emergency Car Kit


Keep an emergency kit in your car.

  • A battery-powered radio and flashlight, with extra batteries
  • A blanket
  • Booster (jumper) cables
  • A fire extinguisher
  • A Canadian Red Cross first aid kit and manual
  • Bottled water and high-energy foods that won’t go bad (replace the water every six months and the food once a year)
  • Maps of the area
  • A shovel
  • Flares
  • A tire repair kit and pump
  • Matches and a “survival” candle in a deep can that will burn for many hours

For more information on the different models of Canadian Red Cross first aid kits that are available, please contact your local Red Cross office or visit shop.redcross.ca.

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